Deer, oh deer!

A great YouTube entry we first saw on TioJimeno, who picked it up. It was shot by one 'Jimenaforest', whom we believe is a forstry worker. Worth seeing the ways of our local deer...

Magnificent walkers' guide to Jimena countryside

JIMENA The local walkers' society in Jimena, called Caminete de Luna ('Pathway of the Moon', approx., beautifully named after a street in the village) held a book presentation on Friday evening (photos and text of the event in another item). But it's not just any old book. This is a magnificent, practical work of art that contains 35 routes through the Los Alcornocales Nature Park (not 'Natural' Park, please!). The routes are of varying degrees of difficulty, and can take anywhere between less than one hour to nine and a half. The ringbinder makes it easy to remove each route and the waterproof paper it is printed on, very practical. But that's not all. The photography, mainly by José Manuel Contreras and Raúl Cárdenas but with contributions from others, is absolutely stunning - and serves to remind those of us who live just outside Los Alcornocales that we live as close to Paradise as we humans can. (More great big photos and descriptions below - but we promise not to go OTT again...)

Guardia rescue group of walkers lost in the hills

JIMENA (Agencies) It is all too easy to get lost in the cork forest of Los Alcornocales Nature Park, as a group of supposedly experienced walkers learned last weekend. Officers from the GC post at Jimena were alerted by a mobile phone call to the station, coming from the walkers themselves. They were lost, but thanks to the GC's exacting knowledge of the area, they were able to recognize some indicators. Having taken off for a long walk into the forest, they were now at a place known locally as Majada del Lobo. The search was on and the visitors were finally located and brought into the village safe and sound. This is hardly the first time this has happened in the park, and fortunately there are no injuries or worse to report. The Guardia Civil advises, though, that walking in these hills can be a risky business, however leisurely it may appear, so it is not a good idea to set out without excellent knowledge of the forest or without taking a guide.

Campaign for Real Cork

This is part of a campaign for the use of real cork, particularly that of the Los Alcornocales (Cork Oaks) Nature Park, all around us. The park, says the film, is not only one of the last remaining pure cork oak locations in Europe but it is also a very important part of local economies. You can read about How That Cork Got in Your Bottle and you can watch this movie. You can also be sure that your bottle (of wine, brandy, sherry, port, etc. etc.) uses cork, and not that nasty plastic stuff! (See also: Vote for Real Cork!)

Spain's first mushroom market reopened this morning

The first, possibly the only, market (lonja) in Spain that deals exclusively with wild mushrooms is located, believe it ir not, in Jimena de la Frontera. And it reopened its doors this morning after a year in suspension owing to the construction of a new local police station next door as well as to last year's bad season for chantarelle mushrooms (photo) - the specialty of Los Alcornocales Nature Park. The species that will be sold this year, as well as chantarelles, are amanita cesareas and boletus. The auction system here is 'in reverse', that is, the starting price per kilo is usually between €15 and 16 and goes down until a wholesaler decides on a price he wants to pay. Bids are done electronically, which opens this market to other places in the area.

'Los Alcornocales: Nature Park and Future Development'

The future of Los Alcornocales Nature Park is to be discussed in a workshop at the Leopoldo de Luis Cultural Centre in Jimena (across the street from the Town Hall)  on April 22, starting at 9.30am under the title of 'Los Alcornocales: Nature Park and Local Development'. Aimed at businesses related to the park, such as tourism and agriculture, as well as to teachers and students, it is part of a progremme of environmental education that is being carried out over several months at Alcalá de los Gazules, Los Barrios and Jimena de la Frontera, all closely related to the park in various aspects of it development and conservation.