Wild Finca currently covers just under 18 acres of mixed land from thick scrub to open meadows. An old intensively managed cattle farm which we are in the midst of returning to nature.
We have been approached by the owner of a large area of land around Wild Finca who wishes to sell. Someone else has approached her to purchase it for cattle farming but as it borders us we have first refusal for 2 weeks. This is likely the only time in our lifetime this land will be available to purchase.
Asturias is a wild place but like much of the world things are changing. Forests are being removed, land is burned and cleared for both grazing and crops. Our dream is to protect a little swathe of land for the future. We come from the UK which has lost, and continues to lose so many species.
Here in Asturias the declines are evident too, but red backed shrikes, turtle dove and quail are just a few examples that still cling on (this year 2 pairs of red backed shrike bred at Wild Finca). Wolves still roam the mountainsides, and perhaps in years to come the Cantabrian brown bear will find its way here.
We understand the cultural importance of small scale agriculture and for that reason, to keep Wild Finca a varied mosaic of habitats we have a small flock of the Asturian Xalda sheep & a pair of one of the oldest horse species in the world, Pliny & Pear our Asturcon ponies.
Various orchids and wild irises are just some of the wild flowers that can be found across the land. Wasp spiders can be found in the meadows, whilst marbled white butterflies & marsh fritillaries flit above the flowers.
Our aim is to not only preserve an area for nature, but to welcome people here to immerse themselves in nature, be it studying & recording the flora & fauna to just sitting and soaking up the sights, smells and sound. Our passion is to get the next generation excited by wildlife - both here in Spain & across the rest of Europe. To stumble across a Seoanei's viper in the gorse, or sit amongst the wild oregano as a short toed eagle hovers overhead.
Wild Finca will never physically cover thousands of acres, but we would like it to become an example for others so we can have a network of wild spaces across Europe that perhaps combined will cover thousands of acres.
As Jane Goodall said;
"I like to envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle... If you look at the whole picture, it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that's what will give you hope."
We have invested a lot of our own finances into this project and continue to do so, but with time pressures on newly available land, we simply do not currently have the funds to purchase it for the future so are launching this crowdfunder.
Although we will be the owners, we want the land to be available to people from all walks of life to come and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature. So anyone who pledges and finds themselves here will always welcome to join us for a picnic and a nature walk around Wild Finca.
