New Guidebook Unveils Anaga's Natural Wonders

This book lets you explore Anaga, a unique place with amazing plants, animals, and geology, where nature and people live together. It should inspire us to protect it. That's how "A Natural Walk through the Anaga Rural Park" is described, and it's a great way to introduce this guide to the 14,000 hectares of the Anaga Rural Park. This area in northeastern Tenerife is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2015.

The book is by José Ángel González Escalera, a teacher from La Laguna. It's published by Turquesa Ediciones, with help from the town councils of La Laguna, Santa Cruz, and Tegueste, and the Tenerife government. These groups all share the park.

José Ángel González, who taught biology and geology, told DIARIO DE AVISOS that the book is based on an earlier one from 15 years ago. This new version has much more information and many more pictures. The old book had about 700 photos, but this one has over 1,300!

"I taught at the San Hermenegildo Institute for 30 years," he said. "I used to take my students on walks through Anaga. We'd collect plant samples, take them back to the lab, and look at them under a microscope."

"A Natural Walk through the Anaga Rural Park" is a complete guide to the area. It starts with how the island was formed. "The book explains the geology, how the ravines and valleys were made," González Escalera said. It also talks about the different types of soil, how they affect the environment, and the weather in Anaga.

Then, the book describes the plants that grow there. "The plants are listed with their common and scientific names, what they look like, and pictures of their roots, stems, fruits, and flowers. This helps you identify them no matter what time of year you visit," he explained. The 372-page book also covers the animals that live in Anaga.

Another part of the book suggests different walking routes through the park. "It's not just a route guide," González Escalera said. "It tells you what you'll see on each route. So, if you're walking through a forest, the book will help you identify the plants you're seeing."

The last section of "A Natural Walk through the Anaga Rural Park" is about the people who live there. "It talks about all the villages in Anaga, big and small, their history, and what makes them special," the author said. "There's also a map showing where they are."

"The main goal of this book is to teach people about Anaga," José Ángel González Escalera said. "It's easy to understand, even if you don't know a lot about nature. It's meant to be a guide that you can take with you when you walk through Anaga, so you can learn more about what you're seeing."

"A Natural Walk through the Anaga Rural Park" was launched on October 2 in La Laguna. The mayor of the city, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, and the president of the Association of Friends of the Museum of Nature and Archeology (MUNA), José García Casanova, were there to support the author.