Micro documentaries about plants.
Edward Osborne Wilson was a prolific biologist and entomologist who, through his studies, was able to reveal to us the most intimate and essential aspects of Homo sapiens, bringing humans evolutionarily closer to bees, termites, and ants. Eusociality is a level of organization found in some species and is characterized by the coexistence of individuals … Continue reading Spring gathering
May’s first rains fall and the rockroses, without warning, burst into bloom overnight. Spring is tentative when it wakes after winter, as if testing its possibilities; but at a certain point it becomes exuberant, even bawdy. Everything buds, everything expands. Then, when summer arrives, the fast-growing vegetation that has already fulfilled its essential role —to … Continue reading The Mature Forest
The experts in botany, along with some satellites and a few algorithms (Nature journal, Crowther et al., 2015), estimated that there are 3.04 trillion trees on planet Earth. That means each human would “have” 375 trees. In Spain, it is estimated that there are about 7.5 billion trees (National Forest Inventory), so we would each … Continue reading Dehesa. The Living Woodland
The existence of living beings is directly related to the presence of water and an appropriate atmospheric condition such as temperature. The ranges in which most species survive are slightly above their freezing point of 0 degrees Celsius, up to a maximum temperature of approximately 50 degrees Celsius, well below the boiling point of water. … Continue reading Blue Thistles. Palencia
We are on the southern slope of the Sierra de Gredos. We have climbed very high to visit the area where the Cuartos Gorge originates. A canal from an old mini hydroelectric plant—about whose construction I still wonder whether it was built in the name of progress or for private benefit—helps us ascend in an … Continue reading Shepherd’s hut
The footprints of our ancestors, even though they are distant in time, move us. We strive to identify with them, imagining how they lived, worked, and thought. However, we often fall into self-deception: we like to believe that they were like us, their descendants, and that archaeological vestiges reflect an existence similar to ours. This … Continue reading Beliefs
The strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is a typical Mediterranean evergreen shrub species that can reach tree size and exceed 4 meters in height. It is very common in many rugged areas of the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula, as long as they are not at high altitudes, and can form small mixed forests together … Continue reading Autumn pollinators
Much has been said and written about the affinity of certain mushroom species to mycorrhize in association or close proximity with specific plant species. A long time ago, the scientific community identified numerous species of fungi as symbiotic organisms with a special bond to specific ecosystems. These species are considered a fundamental part of environmental … Continue reading The geology of mushrooms: Boletus aereus and reticulatus
"Do you have 'October Yellow'?" I asked at the paint store on Hortaleza Street. They didn't have that exact shade. If you truly know that yellow, you know that Claude Monet's was a poor substitute (and he knew it too). All you need are ripe, sun-yellow quinces. Slowly remove the fuzz, then chop the hard … Continue reading Monet yellow
The thawing process in a temperate zone like the Iberian Peninsula takes place during spring and summer, when temperatures rise and the snow accumulated in the mountains begins to melt, filling the watercourses. This process has consequences for rivers, wetlands, aquifers, and the land itself, which becomes more fertile, allowing the spring vegetation explosion with … Continue reading Spring thaw, a natural spectacle full of life
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