The Iberian lynx leaves its mark on schoolchildren in Ciudad Real

Students of the A and B third grade classes of the CEIP José María de la Fuente primary school, Ciudad Real, produced a book entitled 'El lynce Ramón' (Ramón, the Lynx) wherein they captured each of their experiences while discovering the Iberian lynx in Montes de Toledo, where they witnessed the release of reintroduced specimen in the context of the Life+IBERLINCE project, last spring.

Led by their teachers and a group of volunteer mothers and fathers, the students had the chance to complete the day’s scheduled activities, pertaining to the interpretation of the environment and the Mediterranean forest, by assisting the release of three Iberian lynxes in the region, which took place in Quinto de Luciañez, in the Ventas con Peña Aguilera municipality (Toledo).

In addition to the schoolchildren, the release was attended by the ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development of Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia, Francisco Martínez and José Fiscal, respectively; in addition to the former president of the Castilla-La Mancha community, José Bono, and the current president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García Page.

Alongside them stood this group of students who were very involved in the conservation of the natural environment, and whose experiences were captured in a book laying out their impressions and ideas regarding the conservation of the Iberian lynx.

Following a guided tour through the Cabañeros National Park in the morning, the schoolchildren visited the Interpretation Centre and the Torre de Abraham recreational area, located at the foot of the reservoir of the same name.

In the small visitor centre, where one can learn about the role of the Cabañeros forest, it’s also possible to approach the Mediterranean mountain, an interlaced mosaic of raña (slopes and plains at the foot of mountains) and hill, a perfect habitat for the fauna conserved in the park.

Thanks to the guidance of FomeCam specialists, the students had a chance to enjoy a practical lesson on the interpretation of the natural environment, and learned about the flora and fauna present in the Iberian lynx’s daily life.

At the same time, they appreciated the work developed under the Life+IBERLINCE Project, the Iberian lynx’s circumstance of special vulnerability and the problems it faces, and reflected the importance of citizenry, since we all have a part in the successful recovery of the autonomous community’s feline.

It was very gratifying to see how the students’ fairly extensive prior knowledge of the Iberian lynx came to fruition, evident in some of the very interesting questions they posed to the specialists.

The students have now offered a copy of the book 'El Lince Ramón' to Fomecam technical director Rodrigo Julián Fuentes, in appreciation of the work carried out by the company within the scope of the Life+IBERLINCE project.

"Cherish the lynx so it won’t disappear", is one of the phrases gathered in this book, which also includes the creation of several very amusing lynx games, and some that give them the chance to act as "guardians of the Iberian lynx".

The book also includes both elaborate and synthesized research papers on the historical geographic areas where previous populations of the species were compared to current ones, the threats they suffer and the promising future that awaits them.

Fomecam is one of the partners in charge of the work carried out by the Life+IBERLINCE project in Castilla-La Mancha. The project has four additional partners in the region, and they are the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development; WWF: Aproca; and the Autonomous Organization of National Parks, including the Cabañeros National Park, where improvements are currently underway to benefit the Iberian lynx settlement.