10 green questions to… Francesc Gascó “Pakozoico”
Biologist, palaeontologist and science communicator Francesc Gascó, better known as Pakozoico, opens the doors to his unique mental ecosystem, where dinosaurs, fossil plants and excavations coexist. He is already known on social media for making science an exciting and fun adventure, but in this interview we ask him to answer our green questionnaire. He talks about his childhood summers in the mountains, his failed attempts to grow ferns in Madrid, his dietary sins and the pleasure of getting lost in a botanical garden searching for ancient species.
What is your earliest memory of nature?
All my life I have been connected to nature. It’s not that I grew up in a natural environment (the southern orchard is not a garden of Eden), but every summer we spent the month of August in Toixa, in the mountainous region, and there I was in contact with the mountains, the river…
You open your eyes in the morning and the first green thing you see is…
Right now, every day starts with walking my dog, so we go to a green area. It’s not the same as being in the countryside, but having parks near home is a respite, a breath of fresh air, and luckily I have it every morning when I wake up.
Which is the last plant you’ve killed?
My plants don’t usually die… but I must admit that I was used to having ferns in Valencia, where they thrive better because of the humidity. I tried to keep pots of ferns in Madrid… it was a mistake.
Confess your unbearable sin to us
I try to live a very sustainable lifestyle. I recycle, save water… but if there’s one thing that isn’t sustainable but I still do, it’s my diet, which is totally omnivorous. I try to eat farm-raised and grass-fed meat, farm-raised eggs… but sometimes the pace of life makes it harder than it should be.
A vegetable flavour you hate and one you love
I’m lucky enough not to hate any food, so I don’t hate any flavours. And as for being fascinated… I’m one of those strange people who love ginger and coriander.
For you, a botanical garden is a space for…
For many things! I love walking, getting lost, reading, looking for exotic plants or, taking into account my speciality, looking for primitive and prehistoric plants, such as ferns, horsetails, ginkgos…
Choose your power if you were an environmental superhero
If I had to choose… being able to manipulate water, or communicate with other living beings.
Your secret phobia when you go to the countryside
I don’t have many phobias, but one of them is a fear of heights. Because of this, I can’t enjoy some spectacular views or cross high bridges… but I’m not afraid of insects, reptiles or anything else. I feel very comfortable in the middle of nature.
Do you have a favourite film or book where nature is the main character?
Of course. It’s obvious, but one of my favourite books is Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. And the topic of interfering with nature, de-extinction, the dangers involved… is very present. Frank Schätzing’s The Fifth Day also had a big impact on me. It’s full of marine biology, and I was lucky enough to read it the same year I was studying that subject in my biology degree, so I enjoyed it even more.
Your next green adventure
The part of my job that I enjoy most is fieldwork. I’m very happy on an excavation or prospecting campaign. Even more so if it’s an expedition where we have to sleep camping in the middle of nowhere. So my next green adventure will most likely be one of these campaigns. That’s the good thing about palaeontological sites, you have to go out into the field to find them and work on them.
