Garrano horses and Maronesa cattle (resembling an aurochs), as well as griffon vultures and many other wild or semi-wild animals live in a privately-owned, open nature reserve of 856 hectares, which is also classified as a bird sanctuary and a UNESCO World Heritage Archaeological Site. The caves along the banks of the river are home to 20,000-year-old rock paintings from …
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Today, 1 April, we’re staying in Portugal, on our own doorstep, so to speak. I’m dealing with animals. Yes, we are not alone on this planet, dear friends. We humans have multiplied and prevailed over animals to such an extent that we are now the ones who call the shots. We are, so to speak, without external enemies. All together, …
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Saturday 21st October 2023. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Yellow Machines first came close to me on a Tuesday, 29 August. They came so close that they did get me a bit wet with the sheer quantity of water they offloaded from the sky, over 3,000 litres after all, weighing three tons. Their intended target was of course not …
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Saturday the 12th of August 2023. Gallows’ humour in our own backyard? ECO123 and the new Botanical Garden at Caldas de Monchique: it’s not that easy to be close to a forest fire and write a story about possible solutions to climate change. Where should this story begin, and where can it end? Baiona, Alentejo. A barbecue triggers this gigantic …
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Saturday the 5th of August 2023. And now for something completely different. Last March, biologist Sónia Soares fulfilled a long-held dream in her own garden. Taking a plot of 100 m² (5 x 20m) she planted a new young diverse forest consisting of 19 different species of trees and plants. How did she go about it, why did she do …
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Saturday the 22nd of July 2023. My lemon tree is trying to tell me something: „look at me, I’m thirsty, my roots are no longer finding any water.“ My fig tree is showing a similar reaction. Its leaves are taking on an ever lighter colour before falling to the ground: for lack of water. Everything is drying up. The large …
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Saturday the 20th may of 2023. Part One. On 5 November Lenz was walking through the hills, all by himself. The summits and high mountain flanks were gleaming in the sun, and the valleys below were covered in green after the rain. Brooks were rushing across the rocks, and the eucalyptus trees were swaying in the wind. Temperatures had gone …
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Forests store CO2, forests store water, forests keep cities cool, forests ease droughts, forests protect against erosion. This is a list that could go on and on. A forest that is properly protected is an investment in the future. By 2030, the EU wants to see at least three billion trees planted. That’s not bad. However, you can plant a lot …
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Planting trees is the most effective measure against the overheating of the Earth. Maybe in a few years‘ time humanity will come to the realisation that part of our salvation lies in rebelling, i.e planting trees as if our lives depended on it and reanimating landscapes wherever possible… This is the way 48-year old Jochen Schilk puts it in his …
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From time immemorial, Nature has been providing us with our essentials, including fruit, cereals, fish, meat and wood. Clean air and clean water are other free gifts of Nature. Economists group all these aspects together under the concept of natural capital. Put simply, natural capital is defined as the stock of natural goods and services, such as soil, forest or …
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Eco123 Revista da Economia e Ecologia
