Vidas Protegidas (Protected Lives)

ESP – ENG

Hello everyone!

Today I want to share something with you that is a tremendous honour for me. Montañas Vacías and I have been featured in an episode of the series Vidas Protegidas (Protected Lives), a wonderful initiative by Nuestros Espacios Protegidos (Our Protected Spaces). This series seeks to show the vital connection between its protagonists and various protected natural areas. In my case, this includes the Protected Landscape of the Pinares del Rodeno, the Alto Tajo Natural Park, and the Serranía de Cuenca Natural Park—the protected spaces that Montañas Vacías runs through (I hope there will be more protected spaces here soon).

Nuestros Espacios Protegidos is a campaign with several years of experience promoting nature conservation and social well-being through protected spaces. For me, beyond the episode itself, the real gift was being able to spend two days with Ignacio Jiménez and Rafael Abuín, the ‘fathers’ of the project. Both have decades of experience in the world of conservation, participating in and coordinating projects all over the world.

On my own journey and learning about the conservation of Silence, there was a book that profoundly impacted me, written by one of them, Ignacio Jiménez: «Producción de Naturaleza: Parques, Rewilding y Desarrollo Local» («Producing Nature: Parks, Rewilding and Local Development«). This manual is much more than an academic text; for me, it’s a true bible that presents a comprehensive and optimistic method for producing nature and conserving biodiversity in the 21st century, combining biological and social principles with practical experiences from conservationists worldwide.

What I found in those pages resonated directly with my philosophy at Montañas Vacías. Ignacio shows how conservation can be an economic and social driver for rural communities. The book inspired me to see that the Silence you travellers taught me to love and value is not just the absence of noise, but an intrinsic value and a precious natural resource that we must protect. I learned that protecting our soundscapes can be one of the most powerful tools for the care of our environment and, above all, ourselves.

«In a predominantly urban world, the Production of Nature presents itself as a possible path to recover the ecological integrity of our natural areas, while also serving as engines for an economic and social resurgence in disadvantaged rural regions».
Ignacio Jiménez.

Ignacio’s practical, call-to-action approach encouraged me to promote awareness about the responsible use of Montañas Vacías’ resources and to ensure that the visitor profile is in line with the conservation of Silence. As the book points out, modern conservation must be «anything but conservative», inviting us to step out of our comfort zone and to integrate rewilding, conflict management, participation, and leadership. This perspective was key on my path to becoming Europe’s First Quiet Trail.

In short, this episode of Vidas Protegidas and the inspiration generated by people like Ignacio Jiménez and Rafa Abuín, reaffirm my conviction that, even if a project is small and humble, each of us has a tremendous power as an individual to generate a positive impact on our territories.

So, we will continue riding, listening, and protecting this natural treasure that surrounds us. Thank you for being a part of this journey!

Big hugs from Teruel!!

To learn more about Nuestros Espacios Protegidos and the great work of Ignacio and Rafael, take a look at @nuestrosespaciosprotegidos.

(Comments in the Spanish version)

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