Outdoor interests and nature

Ideas and knowledge for enjoying the countryside, water and outdoor life while understanding the living things and places we share.

Find your interest

Hunting and landscapesMethods, wildlife and habitats: understanding hunting practices and their relationship with the land. Recreational fishingFish, waters and methods: understanding freshwater and sea fishing and their effects. Horses and natureBehaviour, breeds, movement and trails to understand horses in their surroundings. Walking and navigationRead landscapes, interpret maps and explore paths on foot or by bike. Wildlife watching and photographyWatch, recognise and document wildlife and landscapes without disturbing them. Fungi and foragingFungi, fruit and woodland cycles: understanding their ecology and observing carefully. Gardening, growing and beekeepingCrops, soil, pollinators and colonies: the nature that lives close to home. River and coastal activitiesWetlands, riverbanks and coasts: discover nature from the water and its shores.

Read on and explore

Hunting and landscapes · 2 min

Food, shelter and connectivity: what hedgerows can offer on hunting grounds

Hedgerows and their edges can provide food, cover and routes between habitats, but their effects depend on the species and the location. The available guidance comes from Great Britain and Scotland and does not demonstrate universal results for Spanish hunting estates.

Wildlife watching and photography · 2 min

Photographing birds from a distance: more observation, less pressure

A camera is no reason to get closer: observing quietly, using a telephoto lens and paying attention to a bird’s behavior help keep photography secondary to its welfare.

Recreational fishing · 3 min

Recreational fishing in Spain: licences and rules to check

Before fishing, check which licence applies to the waters and method, whether the area requires an additional permit, and which seasonal and catch rules are in force. Madrid provides a specific example for inland waters; recreational sea fishing in external waters has a different framework.

Wildlife watching and photography · 2 min

Photographing Insects in Natural Light: Light, Focus, and Movement

Natural light can change in intensity and direction as an insect moves. Making the most of it requires observing how it falls on the subject, avoiding casting your own shadow, and balancing exposure, focus, and stability.

Recreational fishing · 2 min

Recreational freshwater and sea fishing: waters, species and methods in examples from Spain and the United States

Fishing in rivers and reservoirs differs from fishing at sea in the types of water, the species present and the methods described. Rules also depend on the territory and the season.

Wildlife watching and photography · 2 min

How to Photograph a Landscape to Show Its Habitat

A frame can bring together a landscape and some of its visible features; a photograph alone does not explain why particular plants grow there or represent the habitat’s full diversity.

Hunting and landscapes · 2 min

The red-legged partridge in agricultural landscapes: mosaics, changes and limits of the evidence

The red-legged partridge uses open, varied environments, and sources describe threats associated with both agricultural intensification and abandonment. This relationship is documented as a description of habitat and threat factors, not as a measure of how much each change contributes to population size.

Hunting and landscapes · 2 min

Hunting seasons in Spain: how to check the applicable rules

Permitted species, dates and conditions depend on the autonomous community and the land. To verify a season, consult the current official order and also check its amendments, restrictions and exceptions.

Recreational fishing · 3 min

Native and introduced fish: why the distinction matters in Spain

A fish’s origin is defined in relation to a territory; being introduced is not, by itself, enough to call it invasive. In Spain, introductions of invasive exotic fish threaten native river fish, many of them endemic.

Walking and navigation · 2 min

How to observe vegetation changes along a trail

Slope aspect, sun exposure, and soil moisture help describe why vegetation changes across the landscape. At Glacier, these patterns offer a specific example, not a universal rule.

Gardening, growing and beekeeping · 2 min

The honey bee colony through the seasons

In temperate climates, the colony changes its priorities and activity with the seasons: in spring and summer it raises new bees; in autumn it prepares for winter, when it may cluster to conserve heat. The pollen available also varies by season and place.

Horses and nature · 3 min

Planning a Horseback Ride: Effort, Load and Terrain

Distance alone does not determine how demanding a ride will be. Terrain, pace and duration add to the horse’s and rider’s fitness and balance, the load, and the equipment.