{"id":67127,"date":"2024-04-26T14:58:42","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T12:58:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espores.org\/?p=67127"},"modified":"2024-12-09T12:23:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T10:23:10","slug":"botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/","title":{"rendered":"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What attracted you to Botany?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My love for any field related to biology goes back to my childhood. But botany came to occupy a special place when in my second year of my degree I had to make a herbarium for my botany course. I really enjoyed this activity, the whole process was very satisfying: herbalising, pressing, drying, making up the sheets, and so on, and it was especially exciting when I finally got to know the name of the plant I had collected. From the moment I began to recognise more and more plants, the usual landscapes changed, elements that had previously gone unnoticed appeared, adding an extra dose of beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Revision-de-pliegos-de-herbario-de-olmo-de-montana-Ulmus-glabra-1-edited-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-pliegos-de-herbario-de-olmo-de-montana-Ulmus-glabra-1-edited-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-pliegos-de-herbario-de-olmo-de-montana-Ulmus-glabra-1-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-pliegos-de-herbario-de-olmo-de-montana-Ulmus-glabra-1-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-pliegos-de-herbario-de-olmo-de-montana-Ulmus-glabra-1-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-pliegos-de-herbario-de-olmo-de-montana-Ulmus-glabra-1-edited-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Revision of mountain elm herbarium sheets (<em>Ulmus glabra<\/em>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Could you summarise your professional career?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I did an internship at the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic of Valencia in the last year of my degree. Afterwards, I also started my research project there, related to the reproductive biology of plants, with a view to writing my PhD degree. I obtained some grants and financial aid, and so I was initiated into the field of conservation biology of endemic, rare and endangered plants. I then went on to work at the Seed-Bank-CIEF, in a European project related to networked germplasm banks for the first few years, and later in the development of strategies for the conservation of forest species. Eventually, I joined the arboreal heritage team, where I am still working today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Inventariando-flora-en-Bunol-1-1-edited-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65005\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventariando-flora-en-Bunol-1-1-edited-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventariando-flora-en-Bunol-1-1-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventariando-flora-en-Bunol-1-1-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventariando-flora-en-Bunol-1-1-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventariando-flora-en-Bunol-1-1-edited-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Inventorying flora in Bu\u00f1ol.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What does your professional day-to-day life consist of?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My day-to-day life is a mixture of field work and office work. We usually go out into the field to inspect protected trees, either as a matter of routine (periodic monitoring is required), or because an alert has been received, or because someone (a local council, a landowner, an interested entity, etc.) requests technical support in relation to a tree specimen. We take measurements, photograph them, inspect their vital, health and structural state, analyse the affections and threats, and finally establish the conservation proposals that we consider most appropriate for the case. In the office, we file and organise all the information gathered, which is essential to know the history of a tree over time. We manage a database with more than 5,000 inventoried trees, some 30,000 photographs and more than 1,500 file folders, among other documents: it is an important volume of information. We also prepare reports, provide advice on tree protection and participate in communication, dissemination and awareness-raising activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Inventario-de-olivos-monumentales-en-Vilafames-1-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventario-de-olivos-monumentales-en-Vilafames-1-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventario-de-olivos-monumentales-en-Vilafames-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventario-de-olivos-monumentales-en-Vilafames-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventario-de-olivos-monumentales-en-Vilafames-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Inventario-de-olivos-monumentales-en-Vilafames-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Inventory of monumental olive trees in Vilafam\u00e9s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Are you proud to have been involved in a particular project or discovery?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, I am particularly proud to have participated in the AFA project (Atlas and Red Book of Threatened Vascular Flora of Spain). At the time, almost recently graduated, I did not appreciate its magnitude, but with time I realised that it was a pioneering, ambitious project, in which more than 500 researchers participated, all working systematically with the same rigorous methodology, which would allow for the first time to collect many data related to the geographical distribution of plants and their conditions or threats, which to date were known in broad strokes, and thus reliably assign the category of threat to each plant and thus establish priorities and needs for action. This way of working has served me as a reference in many moments of my professional life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How important are such projects for society at large?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I believe they are valuable tools for educating society about the importance of biodiversity conservation and the negative impacts of natural habitat loss. They help to raise public awareness of the need to take action to protect the environment and can promote public participation in conservation activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Durante-la-explicacion-de-los-avances-del-proyecto-ECOPLANTMED-por-parte-del-equipo-tunecino-en-Tunez-edited-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Durante-la-explicacion-de-los-avances-del-proyecto-ECOPLANTMED-por-parte-del-equipo-tunecino-en-Tunez-edited-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Durante-la-explicacion-de-los-avances-del-proyecto-ECOPLANTMED-por-parte-del-equipo-tunecino-en-Tunez-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Durante-la-explicacion-de-los-avances-del-proyecto-ECOPLANTMED-por-parte-del-equipo-tunecino-en-Tunez-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Durante-la-explicacion-de-los-avances-del-proyecto-ECOPLANTMED-por-parte-del-equipo-tunecino-en-Tunez-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Durante-la-explicacion-de-los-avances-del-proyecto-ECOPLANTMED-por-parte-del-equipo-tunecino-en-Tunez-edited-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">During the explanation of the progress of the ECOPLANTMED project by the Tunisian team in Tunisia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tell us what project you are working on right now<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Together with my colleague Ricardo Barber\u00e1, I am working on the drafting of a methodological manual for the application of the coefficient of monumentality, an index that estimates the value of a tree specimen by weighting its characteristics according to the different factors that may make it worthy of protection and conservation: age, size or other types of historical, cultural, scientific, recreational or environmental events. This index makes it possible to distinguish specimens of exceptional value from those of notable value and from those of lesser value, and its importance lies in the fact that Valencian legislation allows the former to be declared as &#8220;Monumental Trees&#8221; and the latter as &#8220;Singular Trees&#8221;. The aim of writing this manual is to reduce subjectivity, so that consistent results are achieved by different assessors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Medicion-del-perimetro-del-Ginebre-del-Mas-de-lEscolano-en-Villafranca-del-Cid-edited-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65027\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Medicion-del-perimetro-del-Ginebre-del-Mas-de-lEscolano-en-Villafranca-del-Cid-edited-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Medicion-del-perimetro-del-Ginebre-del-Mas-de-lEscolano-en-Villafranca-del-Cid-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Medicion-del-perimetro-del-Ginebre-del-Mas-de-lEscolano-en-Villafranca-del-Cid-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Medicion-del-perimetro-del-Ginebre-del-Mas-de-lEscolano-en-Villafranca-del-Cid-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Medicion-del-perimetro-del-Ginebre-del-Mas-de-lEscolano-en-Villafranca-del-Cid-edited.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Measuring the perimeter of the <em>Ginebre<\/em> (Juniper) from Mas del Monaguillo at Vilafranca del Cid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Have you met interesting people through your work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, many, and of very different nationalities: most of them I have met thanks to their participation in various European or trans-Mediterranean projects. I find the confluence between the approach or vision of the work and the different cultures particularly interesting. All these people had one thing in common: an enormous passion for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is your relationship with the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic and its staff?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic is a very special place for me. It was the place where I had my first contact with the professional world, everything seemed exciting, it was a pleasure to be there: I had an exceptional tutor, Jaime G\u00fcemes and an excellent colleague, Elena Carri\u00f3; there was a great working atmosphere, everyone was willing to help and teach: Elena Estrelles, Xuso Riera, Ana Ibars and Pep Rosell\u00f3, among others. I had the opportunity to learn a lot. The good atmosphere was completed by other colleagues who, like me, were starting their professional careers with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"796\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/El-despacho-que-ocupaba-en-el-Jardin-Botanico-1-1200x796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/El-despacho-que-ocupaba-en-el-Jardin-Botanico-1-1200x796.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/El-despacho-que-ocupaba-en-el-Jardin-Botanico-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/El-despacho-que-ocupaba-en-el-Jardin-Botanico-1-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/El-despacho-que-ocupaba-en-el-Jardin-Botanico-1-1536x1019.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/El-despacho-que-ocupaba-en-el-Jardin-Botanico-1-2048x1359.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Raquel Herreros in the office she worked at the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do you think your work has changed over the years?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I often remember the first GPS I got my hands on. As well as being a rather bulky instrument, there was only one for all the staff at the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic, so you had to ask for a turn to use it. Finding a plant in the field, from a bibliographic reference, could be hard work at times; now the locations of plants can be obtained quite accurately even with mobile phones, there is free access to orthophotographs (before, they were a very coveted material to which few had access) and software, all this is easier. Likewise, searching for and accessing scientific articles or other bibliography has become much easier. I think there has been a real explosion of information and resources available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How would you encourage current biology students to pursue the same career as you? What do they lack?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think biology students, when they choose to study biology, already know that they will face difficulties in finding a job; I knew that too, and I still chose it. What I want to say is that it is a career where vocation plays a very important role; and that &#8211; enthusiasm, motivation &#8211; will be fundamental to reach your goals. The road may be long, but it will be worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Explicando-detalles-de-la-rodaja-del-Pi-de-la-Bassa-de-Serra-durante-una-visita-del-Consell-Valencia-de-Cultura-al-CIEF-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Explicando-detalles-de-la-rodaja-del-Pi-de-la-Bassa-de-Serra-durante-una-visita-del-Consell-Valencia-de-Cultura-al-CIEF-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Explicando-detalles-de-la-rodaja-del-Pi-de-la-Bassa-de-Serra-durante-una-visita-del-Consell-Valencia-de-Cultura-al-CIEF-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Explicando-detalles-de-la-rodaja-del-Pi-de-la-Bassa-de-Serra-durante-una-visita-del-Consell-Valencia-de-Cultura-al-CIEF-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Explicando-detalles-de-la-rodaja-del-Pi-de-la-Bassa-de-Serra-durante-una-visita-del-Consell-Valencia-de-Cultura-al-CIEF-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Explicando-detalles-de-la-rodaja-del-Pi-de-la-Bassa-de-Serra-durante-una-visita-del-Consell-Valencia-de-Cultura-al-CIEF-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Explaining details of the slice of pine from the Bassa of Serra during a visit of the Valencian Council of Culture to the CIEF.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What does the future hold for botany?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I believe it will be basic in addressing environmental challenges, especially in the current context of climate change and biodiversity loss.\u00a0 Botany will play a crucial role in the conservation of endangered species and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Imagine you have as much budget as you want. What would your work be like? What things would you improve?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I would enlarge the work team in order to increase the frequency of visits to the protected trees, and to be able to carry out a greater number of actions for the conservation of the arboreal heritage. With an unlimited budget, it would even be possible to buy the land on which some trees are located, which sometimes are not in the best conditions, and their environment could be significantly improved, allowing for adequate root development or ensuring their water needs. Sometimes it is difficult to reconcile conservation and land use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"772\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Diseno-sin-titulo-2024-04-26T142733.032-1200x772.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65046\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Diseno-sin-titulo-2024-04-26T142733.032-1200x772.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Diseno-sin-titulo-2024-04-26T142733.032-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Diseno-sin-titulo-2024-04-26T142733.032-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Diseno-sin-titulo-2024-04-26T142733.032-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Diseno-sin-titulo-2024-04-26T142733.032-2048x1318.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On the left, access to a whitebeam (<em>Sorbus aria<\/em>) population to collect seeds in the Hoz ravine (Puebla de San Miguel) \/ On the right, looking for the best route to reach a protected tree.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Which era of Botany would you have liked to live in and why?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time of the great botanical expeditions, around the 18<sup>th<\/sup> and 19<sup>th<\/sup> centuries. It fascinates me to imagine these intrepid botanists and naturalists, exploring and cataloguing the diversity of plants all over the world, recording detailed information about their habitats, their distribution, their uses&#8230; These expeditions played a fundamental role in the exchange of botanical knowledge between different regions; it was a time of discovery, adventure and scientific collaboration that left a huge impact on the understanding of the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In all these years as a botanist, what is the funniest or most curious situation you have found yourself in?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once, on the way back from a field trip in the Sierra de Aitana (Mountain range of Aitana), my eyes began to sting and water, and after a while I could hardly see at all. The trainee I had been out with had to take the car to take me to a health centre where I had my eyes washed. I saw blurry for a couple of days, I got quite a shock. I suppose I touched some irritating plant, or it was the fumes of a fixing liquid that I had in the car that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Visita-a-la-Carrasca-de-Culla-durante-una-excursion-organizada-con-motivo-del-concurso-Arbol-del-Ano-en-Espana-1-1200x675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Visita-a-la-Carrasca-de-Culla-durante-una-excursion-organizada-con-motivo-del-concurso-Arbol-del-Ano-en-Espana-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Visita-a-la-Carrasca-de-Culla-durante-una-excursion-organizada-con-motivo-del-concurso-Arbol-del-Ano-en-Espana-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Visita-a-la-Carrasca-de-Culla-durante-una-excursion-organizada-con-motivo-del-concurso-Arbol-del-Ano-en-Espana-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Visita-a-la-Carrasca-de-Culla-durante-una-excursion-organizada-con-motivo-del-concurso-Arbol-del-Ano-en-Espana-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Visita-a-la-Carrasca-de-Culla-durante-una-excursion-organizada-con-motivo-del-concurso-Arbol-del-Ano-en-Espana-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a0<br>Visit to the Carrasca (holm oak) of Culla during an excursion organised for the Tree of the Year in Spain competition.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you work alone or in a team? How does it work like this?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have always worked in a team; I can&#8217;t imagine any other situation. It is enriching to share knowledge and points of view or to be able to discuss doubts, it allows you to learn more and reach solutions more quickly. And then there is the affective part: the mutual support I have had over the years with my colleagues has meant that we have finally become friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What tools do you need for your work?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Few and simple: a GPS, a tape measure, a hypsometer and a camera. And the everlasting field notebook where everything is written down; I have not yet found technology that surpasses it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you have a favourite plant or landscape?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, the forests of the Tilio-Acerion forests of ravines, a habitat that is very rare in our territory, and which I got to know late, when I started working at the Seed-Bank-CIEF. I like the freshness they transmit, and the lime trees, mountain elms and hazelnut trees that we can find there, with their bright green colours, seem very beautiful to me. I have been lucky enough to be able to spend a lot of time visiting localities with this type of habitat: first by studying the populations of the most vulnerable species and then, because it was the cornerstone of the LIFE RENAIX EL BOSC project, in which I participated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Revision-de-localidades-de-bosques-de-Tilio-Acerion-para-el-proyecto-LIFE-RENAIX-EL-BOSC-en-el-Raco-de-la-Mata-en-Ares-del-Maestre-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-localidades-de-bosques-de-Tilio-Acerion-para-el-proyecto-LIFE-RENAIX-EL-BOSC-en-el-Raco-de-la-Mata-en-Ares-del-Maestre-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-localidades-de-bosques-de-Tilio-Acerion-para-el-proyecto-LIFE-RENAIX-EL-BOSC-en-el-Raco-de-la-Mata-en-Ares-del-Maestre-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-localidades-de-bosques-de-Tilio-Acerion-para-el-proyecto-LIFE-RENAIX-EL-BOSC-en-el-Raco-de-la-Mata-en-Ares-del-Maestre-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Revision-de-localidades-de-bosques-de-Tilio-Acerion-para-el-proyecto-LIFE-RENAIX-EL-BOSC-en-el-Raco-de-la-Mata-en-Ares-del-Maestre.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Review of the Tilio-Acerion forest localities for the LIFE RENAIX EL BOSC project at Rac\u00f3 de la Mata in Ares del Maestrat.<br><br>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What attracted you to Botany?\u00a0 My love for any field related to biology goes back to my childhood. But botany came to occupy a special place when in my second year of my degree I had to make a herbarium for my botany course. I really enjoyed this activity, the whole process was very satisfying: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":64981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7282],"tags":[7283],"coauthors":[2761],"class_list":["post-67127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","tag-botanicdelmes-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros | Espores<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros | Espores\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What attracted you to Botany?\u00a0 My love for any field related to biology goes back to my childhood. But botany came to occupy a special place when in my second year of my degree I had to make a herbarium for my botany course. I really enjoyed this activity, the whole process was very satisfying: [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Espores\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-26T12:58:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-09T10:23:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1155\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/48da56eb5510339891b3fab9489c027a\"},\"headline\":\"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-26T12:58:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-09T10:23:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1916,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Botanists of the month\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Interviews\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/\",\"name\":\"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros | Espores\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-26T12:58:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-09T10:23:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1155,\"caption\":\"oppo_2\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/interviews\\\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Inici\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Espores\",\"description\":\"La veu del Botanic\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Espores\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/favicon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/favicon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Espores\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/48da56eb5510339891b3fab9489c027a\",\"name\":\"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6e8dd86bcfbbbed1b345d24d643b595c41274fbedc053a670a944108e9834a29?s=96&d=mm&r=gb7242e396f9fad87f49de0b9f55eeef0\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6e8dd86bcfbbbed1b345d24d643b595c41274fbedc053a670a944108e9834a29?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6e8dd86bcfbbbed1b345d24d643b595c41274fbedc053a670a944108e9834a29?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/espores.org\\\/en\\\/author\\\/espores\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros | Espores","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros | Espores","og_description":"What attracted you to Botany?\u00a0 My love for any field related to biology goes back to my childhood. But botany came to occupy a special place when in my second year of my degree I had to make a herbarium for my botany course. I really enjoyed this activity, the whole process was very satisfying: [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/","og_site_name":"Espores","article_published_time":"2024-04-26T12:58:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-12-09T10:23:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1155,"url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/"},"author":{"name":"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/48da56eb5510339891b3fab9489c027a"},"headline":"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros","datePublished":"2024-04-26T12:58:42+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-09T10:23:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/"},"wordCount":1916,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Botanists of the month"],"articleSection":["Interviews"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/","url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/","name":"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros | Espores","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-26T12:58:42+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-09T10:23:10+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/PORTADA-23-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1155,"caption":"oppo_2"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-raquel-herreros\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Inici","item":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Botanist of the month: Raquel Herreros"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/","name":"Espores","description":"La veu del Botanic","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#organization","name":"Espores","url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/favicon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/espores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/favicon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Espores"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/48da56eb5510339891b3fab9489c027a","name":"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e8dd86bcfbbbed1b345d24d643b595c41274fbedc053a670a944108e9834a29?s=96&d=mm&r=gb7242e396f9fad87f49de0b9f55eeef0","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e8dd86bcfbbbed1b345d24d643b595c41274fbedc053a670a944108e9834a29?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e8dd86bcfbbbed1b345d24d643b595c41274fbedc053a670a944108e9834a29?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Espores. La veu del Bot\u00e0nic"},"url":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/author\/espores\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/138"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67127"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=67127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}