TopWalks in Spain

[Maggi Young]

I've had a message from the folks who have organised this  website and it seems to me to be one that would be of interest to anyone planning a flower walk in Spain......

http://www.topwalks.net/en/index.htm

http://www.topwalks.net/plants/index.htm


'Dear Sir/Madam,
Please could you visit the plant section 
(http://www.topwalks.net/plants/index.htm) of the Topwalks website 
(http://www.topwalks.net/en/index.htm).
Currently this website on plants and walks in Spain includes photo 
sets on some 1,200 plants by color and by family. Altogether there are 
15,000 nature photographs. The 200 walking routes in Asturias, Aragon, 
Andalusia, Cantabria and Valencia have driving instructions, a full 
account of the route, a slide show, photos, GPS waypoints, a map of 
the route and a roadmap.
We are going to add 25 routes and about 200 plants from the northern 
Spain to our website in May.
The site is free for the users and has five language versions 
(English, German, Spanish, Finnish and Swedish).
Best regards,
Paula Repo and Pasi Rein'

[Ezeiza]

Hi Maggi:

             The images are stunning. I hope they do not think of including GPS readings for the actual populations. It is well known that the road to hell is paved with chunks of wild dug plants.


Best

[Maggi Young]

I will clarify this question with them, Alberto.... but I think that GPS is only given for the points mentioned on the walks in order to follow a proper route and find landmarks, not flowers.

[Ezeiza]

Thanks, you are an angel.

[fermi de Sousa]

While on the topic of Spain,
a friend has sent me this message:
"Just wondering if you know of any gardening/alpine conferences happening in june/july in Europe??? I'm heading there to escape our winter and also take in Madrid …. Thought I might as well try and do a bit of horticulture stuff too if possible…"Any suggestions? Or should I post this somewhere else?
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

I have received the following, reassuring response from Paula of TopWalks to my query re the risk of identifying rare plant populations by GPS locations.

We give the waypoints only for the walking routes. Naturally along 
these routes you can find the plants on which we have photos, but we 
do not give waypoints to any plant populations. When we take the 
pictures, our concern is not to cause any harm to the plants. We hope 
that the routes and photos we present on our site inspire people to 
respect and protect the nature.
Regards,
Paula

Good to hear, I think, and indicative of a responsible attitude by these folks .

[gote]

This is an impossible dilemma.
Either you tell people how to go so they can see plants in which case the risk always is that someone digs the last specimen.
OR you do not tell how to go so they can see plants but then why bother?
I do not think that there is an answer to that.
Göte

[Ezeiza]

Hi:

    Living and working in a part of the world where extemination of wild plants and animals is steady and performed by hunters, plunderers and amateur collectors that DON'T BOTHER, to me the option is clear: don't tell and give the poor wildlife at least an extra period of life.

    In South Africa, Spain, South America and elsewhere you often have well behaved people during the tour return a second time on their own and make a disaster.

[gote]

    In South Africa, Spain, South America and elsewhere you often have well behaved people during the tour return a second time on their own and make a disaster.

Yes that is what I mean
Göte

[Richard Green]

If anyone needs reassurance, I have checked out some of the walks in the eastern Picos area of the Cantabrian section which we visited last year.  The walks given are standard and available in most of the generally available walking guidebooks, and I cannot see any hints as to where to find any plant rarities!

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Richard. 

[Ezeiza]

Thanks, Richard. I am always in need of reassurance in these cases.

[arillady]

Alberto,
I have had the same dilemma with old rose cultivars and other plants in cemeteries - I have seen plants disappear by those people with no integrity.