Ana João has the superpower of transmitting calmness to others. Today she is a designer, but she was a figure skater when she was little. To Ana, a happy day is a day without appointments, with the sun, nature, and marvellous food. If she were a nature's element, she would be water for the calmness she evokes. Her ecological "fad" is to buy as local as possible. She gets really annoyed that there's still so much plastic around. She believes that being VERDE is helping our planet hand in hand with incredible human beings.

Catarina's superpower is curiosity. She is a plastic artist who has lived in China and loves thunderstorms. She spent her childhood playing in the forest behind the house she lived, so the smell of Eucalyptus reminds her of home. If she was a natural element she would be earth. With nature she learns everything. She considers that being VERDE is to think alongside nature: nurturing and repairing the relationships we have with every being that surrounds us.

Diego has the superpower to immortalise moments. He is a biologist-photographer in organisations and projects linked with nature conservation. Diego's causes are preserving nature and environmental literacy. If he was an element, he would be water due to its ability to always find its way. With nature, he learns to be more empathetic, more patient and to accept the cycles of nature in all life dimensions. His ecological purpose is to look for the scientific name of the tree species he finds. He considers that being VERDE is taking care of what belongs to everyone, for everyone.

Joana's superpower is finding things, species, objects, and everything in general! Her CV is full of magical moments such as an internship and master's degree at the wildlife recovery centre - Brinzal in Madrid or the idealisation and implementation of the Artis Naturae project - a nature school for children at risk, institutionalised in temporary orphanages. If she was to be an element of nature, it would be a Green Giant ("obviously!") to absorb and observe everything, the stories, the evolution and adaptation of life to new realities. For Joana to be VERDE is to protect all forms of life on Earth, involving the entire community.

The superpower of (for some) João (for others) Gonçalo, our “tree boss”, is to bridge the gap between ideas and people that come across his life. From a very early age, he committed himself to do what makes him happy and fight for it. From nature, he learns the role of cooperation and co-evolution. If he was an element of nature it would be a tree, his ecological “thing” is... trees and in 2121 he imagines the world full of... giant trees planted in 2021. He considers that being an activist is being present and aware and that being VERDE is being active. He defends the flag of developing associations and NGOs from an early age. He considers it the basis of the social sector that society little recognizes.

João's superpower is "control of the elements": the capacity to adapt to any environment and find the required solutions to turn any holiday and weekend into extraordinary moments. He is a determined trainer and leader in youth associations. He learns from nature to breathe and slow down the pace of everyday life. If he was an element of nature, he would be fire because he likes to live intensely. For João, being an activist means not expecting others to do it for him. He believes that being part of an association changes us and can change lives and that being VERDE is an energy that makes things happen.

Nuno has the superpower to participate in a broad set of associations that promote culture and music education, environmentalism and nature conservation. Nevertheless, he stays loyal to his roots as a field biologist, being abroad whenever possible. For Nuno, a happy day is with his family and friends, with a good meal in front of him. He is ecologically motivated by the desire to help others, bringing his skills to projects that he feels have a future. He believes that being VERDE means having the possibility of taking a new step towards nature conservation in Portugal.

Ana João has the superpower of transmitting calmness to others. Today she is a designer, but she was a figure skater when she was little. To Ana, a happy day is a day without appointments, with the sun, nature, and marvellous food. If she were a nature's element, she would be water for the calmness she evokes. Her ecological "fad" is to buy as local as possible. She gets really annoyed that there's still so much plastic around. She believes that being VERDE is helping our planet hand in hand with incredible human beings.

Cláudia's superpower is giving advice to her friends. She fights daily for more sustainable agriculture in the nature conservation and environmental education sector of Lousada. Nature taught her that everything has its time, and she doesn't go without three things whenever she explores it: her dog, her dog… Ah! and water. As an urgent ecological measure, she defends we shouldn't buy "junk" that we don't need. She believes being an activist is being altruistic, and being VERDE is being a warrior in the service of Nature and people.

Francisco has the superpower to read the news. He entered the adventure of a PhD in Integrative Biology at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and takes part in the LIDERA community and n'os230. He was national volleyball champion "for the great Leixões" when he was a child. He learns from nature that human life is overrated. If he was an element of nature, he would be a mountain because they are majestic, calm and static. For Francisco, being VERDE means fighting locally for a better world and working with friends to defend our shared home.

João's superpower is adaptability. He's a biologist. When he was a child, he loved to catch mice, snakes and spiders and release them in unexpected situations. With nature, he learns that any urgency is relative. If he was an element of nature, he would be the air and asks: "Is there anything better than feeling light and having the ability to be everywhere?" He considers that being VERDE is being participatory, balanced and having an eye on Science to respond to current challenges. He believes that "unity is strength" and in associations.

João is a sun. His superpower is to give energy and vitality. He is currently the Director of Growth and Innovation at HowGood, a New York company specialised in social and environmental impact assessment. His professional career included the AB InBev sustainability team in Mexico, the United States and Brazil and the co-founding of our most beloved Movimento Transformers. He learned to breakdance in the streets of his hometown, Palmela, and dancing in the rain is his ecological craze. A happy day is when he dances, meets his friends and takes action with a positive impact for the planet. With nature, he learns that he is part of it. If he were an element of nature, he would be earth, namely a dark, fertile and anthropogenic soil of pre-Columbian origin found in the Amazon region that supports the region's biodiversity. He considers this a beautiful example of how humans can enhance and multiply life.

Marta's superpower is caring for plants - and the planet is grateful! She very much enjoys being a part of causes that bring people together while helping the planet, which is why she was integrated projects like Zero Waste Youth Portugal and TedxUlisboa, helped found Reboot and is now joining VERDE. When she was little she dreamed of becoming a reporter for National Geographic. For Marta a picnic with friends in the countryside cheers up her days and if she was an element of nature she would like to be a leaf so she could be renewed with every new season. With nature she learns that everything has its own perspective, time and interconnection. As her personal ecological craze she tends to a garden full of plants and flowers and vegetables.

Raquel is a "superstar". She won the GBIF Young Researchers 2018 award, the Global Youth Video Competition 2019 and is an All Atlantic Ocean Youth (AAOYA) 2020/2021 Ambassador. Her causes are protecting the marine environment and working on the transition to a more sustainable blue economy. She learns from nature that humans are passengers and have a lot to learn from biological structures and their functions. She chose marine forests and their ecosystem services as her ecological "obsession". She considers that being an activist is debating, listening, assimilating and disseminating messages that lead to action. She believes that being VERDE is celebrating nature and working to protect it. She considers cooperating with organizations to be essential for people to actively participate in society and work together to solve social, economic or environmental problems.

O Armando conquistou-nos. Tem como superpoderes a empatia e a curiosidade em aprender sempre mais. Viveu nos Estados Unidos 16 anos e recentemente regressou a Portugal para trabalhar "na, com e pela" natureza.

Quando era petiz adorava subir às árvores para colher fruta, correr na terra e dar mergulhos no rio. Para o Armando um dia feliz é um dia em que pode pôr as mãos no solo, colher e semear sementes, impactar animais e pessoas a integrarem a natureza em equilíbrio. Com a natureza aprende a harmonia e os valores com que rege a sua vida. Tem como panca ecológica guardar sementes. Considera que ser ativista é ser habitante ativo “deste planeta espetacular” e que ser VERDE é "observar a natureza, aprender com ela e envolver a comunidade para manter o que nos rodeia mais verdinho e biodiverso."

É com um sorriso que o podemos encontrar a representar a VERDE no terreno.

Cláudia is one of the active bodies of VERDE, works daily in the field and is dedicated to present to the owners of lands with giant trees, in Lousada, the Biodiverse Carbon, the preservation and financing project created by the association to protect trees with big scale, so they can continue to play their fundamental role with great ecological value. If you see her hugging the trees of Lousada, don't be surprised. Sometimes she is just measuring them to make an inventory. If you see her putting up posters around Lousada say hello, if you see her knocking on the door, say hello as well. If Claudia were an element of nature it would be water. With nature she learns to live more calmly and passionately. Her ecological pleasure is to walk in the lands barefoot. She believes that being an activist is learning first and act after.

Francisco's superpower is to create moments of meeting and collaboration between teams - if possible, at the table with a nice meal. He is a biologist, passionate about nature. His causes are the fight against social inequalities and a focus on climate justice. Until he was the age of 10, he said that he wanted to be a dog when growing up. From nature, he learns the importance of systemic thinking and the need to balance the different sources of transformation. His ecological "fad" is to eat food produced locally, if possible, from his own production. He believes that being VERDE is being conscious and thinking far ahead! He sees a school of conscience in NGOs, to which he has dedicated himself for the last 6 years.

João's superpower is adaptability. He's a biologist. When he was a child, he loved to catch mice, snakes and spiders and release them in unexpected situations. With nature, he learns that any urgency is relative. If he was an element of nature, he would be the air and asks: "Is there anything better than feeling light and having the ability to be everywhere?" He considers that being VERDE is being participatory, balanced and having an eye on Science to respond to current challenges. He believes that "unity is strength" and in associations.

José's causes are social justice, human rights, nature protection, happiness, and sport. When going out in the middle of nature, he can't miss binoculars, a pocketknife and tent. He considers that the most effective teaching nature gives him is humbleness. He believes that creating associations helps us acquire essential skills for relationships with others and entrepreneurial, critical, and solidarity thinking. Above all, a sense of community. For "Zé", being VERDE is being innovative, creating opportunities and justice.

Raquel is our savior and *drumroll please* the first VERDE employee! Raquel's superpower is learning. She left her office job to pursue a new degree in Biology and work in among nature. When taking a walk in it, Raquel is in her happy place. If she were an element of nature, it would be air so she could go anywhere. With nature she learns that everything is interconnected and that we are just passing through.
Her ecological mania avoiding food waste. For Raquel, being an activist means dreaming of a better world for everyone and acting towards this goal. She considers that being VERDE is bringing the best of nature back into our daily lives. She considers that doing this is to take a part in the future.

Rodrigo happy days are every day he feels the sun on his face. If it were an element of nature, it would be salt water. With nature, you learn to listen and observe with more presence. His ecological focus is the reuse of resources and considers that activism begins with an internal revolution. For Rodrigo, being GREEN means fighting for nature.