The sessions gathered institutional representatives, specialists, researchers, conservation entities, territorial development agents, associations, and communities from Portugal and Galicia, fostering the exchange of experiences and the construction of a shared vision for the territory's future.
The morning in Valença was dedicated to a technical workshop at the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Minho (CIM Alto Minho) building. The focus group format centered on the challenges of creating and managing Biosphere Reserves, with best practices shared by managers from Reserves such as Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo, Valle del Cabriel, Meseta Ibérica, and Gerês-Xurés.
In the afternoon, the Tui Sociocultural Center hosted the public session «Objective Trans-border Minho River Biosphere Reserve». Following institutional openings by the Mayor of Tui, Enrique Cabaleiro, and Deputy Roberto Carrero, the partner entities of ECOFRONT_MINHO and the project's institutional video were presented.
Martín Agrelo, a researcher from the University of Santiago de Compostela, presented the initial findings of the territorial study, crucial for the area's environmental and socioeconomic characterization. A video message from Professor António Domingos Abreu of UNESCO underscored the importance of Biosphere Reserves.
The «INSPIRA MINHO – Experiences that Pave the Way» session allowed the public to learn from the experiences of four Biosphere Reserves. The participatory mural «The Minho We Imagine» invited reflection on the territory's future, valuing the perspectives of those who live and work in the region.
José Manuel Vaz Carpinteira, director of AECT Rio Minho, concluded the event, highlighting the importance of cross-border cooperation and public involvement: «A Biosphere Reserve is not built solely with institutions and scientific knowledge. It is built, above all, with the people who live in and know this territory».
