As the Grey4Green project is approaching its end, a series of final events were held by Associação BioLiving between the 19th October and the 15th November, 2024, in Albergaria-a-Velha, Estarreja and Ílhavo, Portugal, including the final conference. These events marked the completion of a 2 and a half years effort aimed at promoting active ageing and contributing to climate action through the involvement of senior citizens in nature conservation volunteering programs and through the capacity of personnel working in the third age sector to develop and implement such programs.

The first event, a multiplier event, took place in Albergaria-a-Velha, and brought together specialists and academics, renowned organisations, such as nature conservation NGOs, public institutions, stakeholders and the general public to discuss the EU Nature Restoration Law and the role of everyone into putting it to practise.

The second event, the Final Conference, took place in Ílhavo and featured a presentation on the project outcomes, a keynote speech from the Coordinator of the Active and Healthy Aging National Plan, testimonies of successful project, from Aarhus and Ílhavo (Denmark and Portugal, respectively), a roundtable where the challenges, opportunities of active ageing programs, ways of involving the community and the stigma associated to ageing were discussed. Additionally, three workshops on zero waste cooking, sowing and management of natural areas were delivered by Município de Lousada, Associação BioLiving and the Environment Agency of Iceland. The goal of this event was to present the project’s intellectual outputs and encourage both senior citizens and stakeholders (e.g. municipalities, social institutions and NGOs) to participate and develop in nature conservation projects and climate action.

Lastly, we held a plantation of native trees and shrubs with senior citizens and university students, not only from Portugal, but from across Europe. A total of 160 trees and shrubs, from 10 different species were planted, including cork oak trees, strawberry trees and holy trees.

In total, these final events brought together over 140 participants, and to this number we can add 34 online participants of the Final Conference and all of those who have watched or will watch the recordings on BioLiving’s YouTube channel.

These events highlighted the importance of environmental practices, volunteering, and nature conservation for a more sustainable future, but also encouraged a reflection on the impact of initiatives like Grey4Green on the quality of life and well-being of senior citizens.

The project may be ending, but its impact will continue to resonate long after its conclusion. The initiatives implemented, the connections fostered, and the knowledge shared will leave a lasting legacy, creating a foundation for future nature conservation and active and healthy ageing efforts.