Vulcanalia Marks 10th Anniversary at Canary Islands Environmental Film Festival
The tenth edition of the Vulcanalia conference returns to the Canary Islands Environmental Film Festival, bringing together international experts to bridge the gap between volcanic research and public awareness through a multidisciplinary program of talks, field trips, and film screenings.
The Vulcanalia conference is celebrating its tenth anniversary as part of the Canary Islands Environmental Film Festival (Ficmec). The event has become a key forum for bridging the gap between academic research and public awareness—a mission that has become increasingly vital following the archipelago’s recent volcanic activity.
This year, the program takes place in Garachico and Icod de los Vinos, maintaining its focus on a multidisciplinary approach. Beyond technical discussions on geological heritage and volcanic safety, the event will honor the late Alfredo Hernández Pacheco, a professor of geochemistry at the Complutense University of Madrid who was a central figure in the initiative.
The conference is divided into two main parts. On May 29, Garachico will host an interpretive route and a technical session at the Casa de Piedra. Speakers include Costanza Bonadonna, president of the IAVCEI executive committee, and researcher Lucía Domínguez Barragán, who will discuss the link between natural volcanic processes and risk assessment.
From June 4 to 5, the focus shifts to Icod de los Vinos. Experts including Manu Monje Ganuzas (Progeo), anthropologist Valeria Amorreti, IGME-CSIC specialist Juana Vegas Salamanca, and University of Cambridge professor Clive Oppenheimer will cover a wide range of topics, from heritage protection and geotourism to archaeology at Vesuvius and the relationship between cinema and volcanology.
The event concludes with a guided walk through the La Montañeta, Arenas Negras, and Canal de Vergara areas, followed by a screening of Gianfranco Rosi’s film Pompeii Under the Clouds. The documentary explores how humans live alongside active volcanoes.
All activities are free, though attendees must register in advance via the festival’s official website.
For the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation, which co-organizes the event with Ficmec, this tenth anniversary marks a significant milestone in volcanic education. The initiative aims to move beyond academia, integrating geological knowledge into everyday culture to help the public better understand and live with the islands' volcanic nature.