Naturalist Juanjo Ramos Calls for New Economic Model to Protect Tenerife’s Ecosystems

Balancing nature conservation with economic growth is one of the most pressing challenges in managing island territories. In a recent interview with El Día, naturalist and photographer Juanjo Ramos, a native of Los Silos, argued for a new approach. He suggests that we should treat the value of our ecosystems as the foundation for all economic activity, pointing to successful models in countries like Costa Rica and South Africa.

Ramos highlights a clear divide in Tenerife’s environment. While high-altitude areas and forests—such as the laurel and pine woods—have seen a significant recovery, he warns that coastal areas and land below 500 meters are in critical decline. He is particularly concerned about thermophilic forests, including juniper and palm groves, which he believes have been overlooked by protection and restoration policies for too long.

Beyond his local work, Ramos has spent years documenting primates across twenty countries. His project combines photography with scientific outreach to show how Western consumption habits affect remote habitats, such as the link between the palm oil industry and biodiversity loss in Borneo. His next project will take him to Vietnam, where he plans to document endangered species like the langur, while maintaining his philosophy of minimal interference with the environment.

For Ramos, nature photography is no longer about competition; it has become a tool for education and a therapeutic practice. He has moved away from chasing the "perfect shot" to focus on telling the story of a habitat, often placing the subject within a minimalist context. Despite the frustration of witnessing environmental decay over the decades, Ramos believes that beauty is a more effective teacher than doom and gloom. He remains convinced that visual storytelling is the best way to help people understand how fragile our ecosystems are in the face of modern life.