MORE THAN A DECADE COMMITED TO THE SOCIETY

The Fundación Global Nature was founded in 1993 thus for already more than a decade we are working actively in the conservation of the natural heritage by starting conservational projects for nature, environment and rural development.

Our first projects, like those of the recovery of the traditional transhumance and the cañadas (the royal drover’s routes) which go throughout all the Spanish territory (Proyecto 2001), the conservation of endangered native races and of the Mediterranean agri-forestal systems (Proyecto Dehesas), have always been linked closely to the revaluation of traditional agricultural activities.

Parallel projects for the conservation and recuperation of wetlands have been established, for example in the lagoons of La Nava and Boada (Palencia), as well as in the lagoons of Villacañas (Toledo), the lagoon of Louro (La Coruña) and the turberas of Roñanzas (Asturias). At present the Fundación is one of the most active members of the International Living Lakes Network (http://www.livinglakes.org/), which gathers lakes and wetlands all over the world, as well as in the Foundation form the Participative Enviromental Managemet (Fundación para la Gestión Ambiental Participativa) (FUNGAP) (http://www.fungap.org), which unites Spanish-American wetland conservation projects and the ECOTRANS network (http://www.ecotrans.org), a network of organizations and experts working in the field of sustainable development of tourism.

Other projects of conservation intentioned for local implementation, for instance the recuperation of the Greek turtle (Testudo graeca) in Lorca (Murcia), have caused the creation of an extensive network of private reserves which already occupies more than 4.400 hectares in the Southeast of Spain. This fact have made possible the realization of interesting works of conservation of other threatened species in the Iberian Peninsula, like the project of the recovery of Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus). As well as in the projects previously mentioned, the project for preservation of the Iberian Lynx – initiated in the Sierra de Gata (between Cáceres and Salamanca) – with help from private companies, have expanded to the Parque Natural de Monfragüe. Today the Fundación is working directly in areas of great interest in Andalucía, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, the Valencia region, Extremadura and in Murcia. This direct work consists of three educational centers headed by the Fundación: one in the proximities of the Parque Natural de Monfragüe, the other in the lagoon of La Nava (Palencia), and the third in the heart of Sierras de Carrasquilla-AlmenaraK (Murcia).

As well as the activities for conservation of the nature, the Fundación Global Nature also works intensively for the development of non-contaminating technologies and the adaptation of sustainable production techniques in existing sectors of production. This is the case in the adaptation of innovative technology in the purification of waste water with “green filters”. The transferability of these actions and the strong laces between Spain and Latin America has motivated various co-operational projects concerning the nature and new technologies in Paraguay, the Dominican Republic and in Mexico.

THE EXTREMADURA AREA OF THE FUNDACIÓN GLOBAL NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONAL CENTRE “LA DEHESA”

Next to the Natural Park Monfragüe (Cáceres), in the village Torrejón el Rubio, the Fundación Global Nature created in 1993 the Centre for Environmental Education "La Dehesa" to coordinate its projects in Extremadura. The Centre “La Dehesa” is a building of three floors with a capacity to accommodate 41 persons and it is dedicated to environmental education of pupils and youths and to accommodate researchers who develop works about Mediterranean ecosystems of the grazing lands. The installation forms part of the Network Youth Hostels of the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs and in 1999 it was declared to a Classroom of Nature by the Youth Board of the regional government of Extremadura.

In the Centre information about the Natural Park Monfragüe and its region in general is given and it attends to visitors by guiding them through the same if they are arranged groups. Recommendations of routs are offered which are reconciliable to the conservation of the environment and of socio-cultural interest. Moreover regional products, like honey, pollen, products of wool, and also cartographical and bibliographical material etc. are sold. Besides the Centre has a permanent exposition about the dehesas (grazing lands) with its holm oaks and cork oaks and the Iberian lynx and other threatened species.

The Centre “La Dehesa” is lead by the team of the Fundación Global Nature in Extremadura, a young multidisciplinary team with a wide experience and in constant training, in which not only its youth stands out but also the elevated appearance of women.

During the first years of the existence of the Centre, the inhabitants of Torrejón el Rubio and the surrounding villages were very skeptic and suspicious of it and it took a lot of work and persistence of the team of the Fundación to win their confidence. Today the Centre “La Dehesa” is one of the engines for the development of the region, and in addition it is the connection between the outstanding natural and cultural values of the grazing lands and the scientific and tourist offers.

Since its creation 12 years before, the Centre “La Dehesa” has not stopped its work: From the pioneer Project 2001 for the protection of the royal drover’s routes and the promotion of an extensive cattle raising, which was chosen by the selection-committee for Spanish projects as an emblematic project to represent Spain during the World´s Fair (Expo) in Hannover (Germany) in the year 2000, to the most recent project of improvement of the trophic resources of the lynx – thanks to whom funds of big enterprises in Extremadura have been invested for more than three years.

The attainment of certain standards in the Agro-environmental Program, in favor of some traditional farming systems which are fundamental in the countryside of Extremadura, is one of the greatest achievements, as well as it is the ministerial proposal to include a line of special aids for the trashumancia and the cattle razes of Extremadura which are in danger of extinction, like the “Vaca Blanca Cacereña”, which is a raze of white cows native in the province of Cáceres, the black merino sheep or the dark-brown goats. With the aim of conserving these endangered species they are represented in the farm “El Baldío”, a traditional finca owned and lead by the Fundación, situated in the locality of Talavan in the Cáceres province.

In these 12 years of work the Fundación Global Nature in Extremadura has started to collaborate with national institutions and those of the academic or private sector as well as with NGOs, developing projects with organizations leading the funds PODER and LEADER. Moreover, the Fundación became one of the best catalyst for bringing a huge number of groups of scientists, naturalists and tourists from all over the world, which are interested in the nature and culture of Extremadura, especially Germans, English, Dutchman and Swiss.
The Centre “La Dehesa” elaborates various environmental education campaigns in all of the villages surrounding Monfragüe, Cuatro Lugares and Sierra de Gata, especially linked to the youth sector, schools of Cáceres and Badajoz and the Teachers Centers. From its installation next to the Natural Park Monfragüe also a multitude of courses, workshops, talks, plays, excursions, etc. were educed for a vast number of youth of Extremadura.

The Centre for Environmental Education “La Dehesa” frecuently colaborates with the Culture Departmen through the Youth Board of the regional government of Extremadura. This collaboration consists of the summer camp “Campo de Trabajo Internacional Monfragüe”. During the summer camp the board of the Parque Natural de Monfragüe and the youths work together to make the camp the most prosperous in Spain.

The Centre takes part in the European Unions Youth Programme’s European Voluntary Service. Therefore, approximately eight youngsters from different European countries take part in the every day work and the various projects of The Centre for Environmental Education “La Dehesa” every year. Likewise, the Centre “La Dehesa” continually develops educational projects with the Primary School of Jaranda (en Jarandilla de la Vera), as well as with the Centre for Agricultural Education of Navalmoral de la Mata and the Forest Engineers of the University of Plasencia. Through this education the youngsters can put into practice there knowledge to better be able to compete in the labour market, in the same time as they get more professional skills and an enriching experience for life. Additionally, the Centre collaborates with the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, creating degree projects for there last year students.
The intention of this new web site is to boost the activities that the Fundación Global Nature develops, so that the Centre “La Dehesa” can continue being a motor of economic, social and cultural development. The Centre have been a pioneer concerning environmental issues in Extremadura in various areas: on one hand, the conservation of the environmental and cultural heritage, on the other hand, the local development, creating jobs, activities, promoting the social dynamics – definitively acting as a motor for a strategy for development.

The success of the initiatives mentioned above could be limited if the communication of the projects and what is going on in the Centre “La Dehesa” fails. Therefore a web site like this is very useful, especially in consideration of the newly inaugurated Reserva de la Biosfera de Monfragüe and the National Park-to-be.

Monfragüe is what it is thanks to collective efforts. The conservation and development demands activities like education, investigation, spreading and developing of initiatives and investments, and a personal, professional and collective devotion. It is obvious that the Fundación Global Nature fulfils these demands through its Centre the Environmental Education “La Dehesa” and the team of young people that works there.

Today it is obvious that the society wants a healthy environment and a conservation of the nature. In this sense, Extremadura is one of the leading regions of Europe, having a great part of the most valorous Mediterranean eco systems, the most threatened species and some of the systems of sustainable exploitation of the territory, like the dehesa. The future European network of Protection of Nature and Biodiversity Natura 2000, well represented in the area of action of the Centre “La Dehesa”, will offer important possibilities for the conservation of the nature, closely linked to the creation of jobs, especially for young people. This comes on top of the fact that Extremadura have the perfect possibilities to develop high quality tourism.

Going through these last years of work, the Fundación Global Nature feels very good about the achievements and the work that have been done. The Fundación hopes that the years ahead will bring us all closer to a sustainable development, in which the Centre and its staff can continue to contribute with innovative ideas and an advanced platform for the solution of the challenges of rural development and the conservation of our heritage, in the widest meaning of the word.