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birgittesc's journal
kundavega here on LJ. Here's a tribute I posted earlier on my blog at Hyves:
sad
sadThe cactus fig, called ‘La Higuera de indias’ in Spanish, is also known as ‘nopal’ or ‘tunera’ and originates from South America. In the first years after the Conquista (Conquest) this plant has adapted itself prefectly to the climatological conditions at the Canary Islands. So much so that it appears to many people that it's practically an indigenous species. It grows in many places from the coastal regions to the highest mountain tops. It doesn't grow with the same green freshness everywhere but it must be said that the plant looks the most robust in the hot regions where it gets watered a little.
Antonio Cáceres is a nature lover and advocate of ecological agriculture. He supports the knowledge of the ancient people of the Canarian countryside. Thus he proposed the secretary of Agriculture Demetrio Suarez of the Island Administration of Gran Canaria to use the tuneras as a defense against fire.
He explains that it is a widely known fact in the Cazadores quarter of the city of Telde, especially among the elderly citizens, that “Tunera extinguishes fire every time if it is planted to form a treshhold, planted tightly together in groups,” Cáceres remarks.
Research
Antonio Cáceres speaks out of experience, “as I own a cave dwelling and I have witnessed several cases in which this worked,” he confirms. “The recent forest fires on Gran Canaria reminded me of this practice.” That is why he has proposed to the island authorities “to study this and do tests,” because this could be an easy solution both economically and ecologically.
Farmer Jan Rodríguez Martel shares this opinion: his farm is surrounded by tuneras. He is convinced that this is the best and most secure way to fight fire.
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At the end of May I surfed for the first time at the beach in Scheveningen and I found it so much fun (I could actually ride a wave a couple of times!) that I decided to do it more often. If there are waves, I'm going to have another surfing lesson on Sunday at noon. And if I can manage to catch some lessons this summer, I may be able to surf the large waves at Gran Canaria this November!
Da Birg is on a mission =)
excited