{"id":71454,"date":"2019-01-11T15:33:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-11T13:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espores.org\/?p=71454"},"modified":"2026-04-22T11:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:09:17","slug":"botanist-of-the-month-emili-laguna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espores.org\/en\/interviews\/botanist-of-the-month-emili-laguna\/","title":{"rendered":"Botanist of the Month: Emili Laguna"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why did you choose Botany?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plants have always fascinated me. I grew up between the city of Valencia and Belalc\u00e1zar, a village in the far north of the province of C\u00f3rdoba, where my maternal family comes from\u2014shepherds and farmers. For many years I had to share my books with the hoe, the sickle or the pouch on my back; moreover, the older people taught me a lot about the properties of plants, which ones could be eaten, the poisonous ones, the healing ones\u2026 When I was in Valencia, the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic was my father\u2019s favourite place to take me for walks on many Sundays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Emili Laguna (left) with Jos\u00e9 Antonio Hern\u00e1ndez Mu\u00f1oz (currently Head of the Protected Natural Areas Management Service of the GV) during a field trip with Plant Biology students from the 1979-1984 cohort of Biological Sciences at the Universitat de Val\u00e8ncia. March 1983, Zagra area, Tu\u00e9jar (Val\u00e8ncia).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I was younger, I was particularly fond of animals, especially invertebrates, but my botanical vocation was consolidated especially when I was studying for my baccalaureate at the Technical College of C\u00f3rdoba. During my last year there, in the 1978-79 academic year, with some savings from small jobs done the previous summer, I bought my first field guide to plants and animals; at last I could begin to recognise and name plants! Already at the University of Valencia in 1979, starting my degree in Biological Sciences, I was convinced that for the second cycle I would choose the specialisation in Plant Biology. In fact, at the beginning of the third year, still in the first cycle, I had already begun, under the supervision of Professors Jos\u00e9 Mansanet and Rafael Curr\u00e1s, what would later become my dissertation on plant phenology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1999 you have been a civil servant of the Generalitat Valenciana as a Biology specialist. Could you summarise your professional career?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Between 1984 and 1986 I undertook some occasional botanical work for various administrations, such as the Provincial Council of Valencia or the Ministry of Agriculture. My work at the Generalitat began at the end of 1986, as an interim civil servant biologist for what is now called the Wildlife Service, and I worked in that provisional post until 1989. That year I passed the competitive examination for permanent contracted biologist, permanent staff of the Generalitat, and 10 years later I became a civil servant. Between 1987 and 1990 I was the first director-warden of the Carrascar de la Font Roja Natural Park, a delightful place where I had some of my best professional experiences. Since 1991 I have held the post of section head, although between 1990 and 1996 I temporarily performed the duties of service head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Field trip to the Carabass\u00ed pools (Elche) in February 1987, a few months after starting work for the Generalitat, stationed in the province of Alicante. \/ Daniel Climent i Giner. On the right, Emili Laguna and Juan Antonio G\u00f3mez\u2014currently director of the La Granja Wildlife Recovery Centre, El Saler, Val\u00e8ncia\u2014during a visit to the Pego-Oliva marshland in June 1991. \/ Santiago Reyna\u2014Wildlife Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I started working I was the only botanist at the Generalitat, and despite being stationed in Alicante I carried out work for the service in all three provinces, getting to know a large part of Valencian geography. Among other tasks, I was responsible for part of the first research agreements with Valencian universities for the study of our rare, endemic and threatened flora, reaching the conclusion that most species of conservation interest were often concentrated in microhabitats. From this emerged the idea of flora micro-reserves, and of programming their creation and management to form a network, rather than as isolated nature reserves. Following the project I drafted in 1992, funding was granted from the LIFE programme which enabled that idea to be implemented. In 2006, when CIEF (Centre for Forestry Research and Experimentation) was created, I was entrusted with directing conservation projects relating to threatened wild flora, both regarding ex situ<\/em> conservation and the many habitat recovery works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to directing the creation and operation of the micro-reserves, partly thanks to an excellent team under my charge, the micro-reserves enabled me to join different international working groups and entities, as a volunteer or in honorary unpaid positions\u2014for example in Planta Europa or in several IUCN expert groups. Besides, I have advised on various projects for the creation of micro-reserves in other territories, such as Cyprus, Crete, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Menorca, etc., which has allowed me to acquire basic experience for my professional activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Visit to the Puntal de l\u2019Abella flora micro-reserve in Estivella, Val\u00e8ncia, accompanied by Portuguese biologists Ruben Paz and Sonia Catanho, during a practical placement from the University of Madeira to learn about the management of this type of protected site. February 2007. \/ Albert Navarro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Elaguna
Visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew in June 1998, on the return from the \u2018Natura 2000 and people\u2019 Congress, held days earlier in Bath (Great Britain). The visit to Kew was guided by the botanical editor and communicator Hugh Synge. \/ Hugh Synge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Much of my conservation work isn\u2019t done within the Generalitat, but from home, and I collaborate with several entities. I was a promoter of the creation of SEBiCoP<\/a> (Spanish Society for Plant Conservation Biology) and of the launch of the AFA project (Atlas of Threatened Vascular Flora of Spain), and I\u2019m also a founding member and board member of the recently created SIB <\/a>(Ibero-American Society of Biogeography).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, the Spanish Society for Plant Conservation Biology (SEBiCoP) awarded you the C\u00e9sar G\u00f3mez Campo prize for your professional career. What did this recognition mean to you?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Great joy because, as I mentioned, on the one hand I was one of the promoters of the creation of SEBiCoP and I still remember that some voices predicted the initiative would have little future. It has now been running for 15 years, with ever more work accomplished! On the other hand, it was a great honour, since C\u00e9sar guided my first steps in flora conservation with his advice\u2014then by telephone or handwritten letters\u2014at the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s. This year will mark 10 years since C\u00e9sar G\u00f3mez Campo passed away, but his spirit\u2014not only scientific, but also his lessons in humanity\u2014has guided many of us to reach where we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Emili Laguna, Jaime G\u00fcemes and Llu\u00eds Serra, at that time board member, president and treasurer of SEBiCoP (Spanish Society for Plant Conservation Biology), respectively, during an excursion to Teide National Park during the 3rd<\/sup> Congress of Plant Conservation Biology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You are also internationally recognised as the promoter of micro-reserves, a protection measure that is now 20 years old. What is your assessment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, it would be enough to say that we\u2019ve gone far beyond what I had imagined. It has been almost 30 years since I proposed the idea of creating a network of micro-reserves, and 20 years since the first ones were legally declared: at the end of 1998 in Castell\u00f3n and in 1999 for Valencia and Alicante. Today, we have more than 300 micro-reserves: it\u2019s the world\u2019s densest network of land specifically protected for wild flora. If receiving the SEBiCoP prize was a great source of pride, the same happened in 2004 when I received the Silver Leaf Award from Planta Europa, precisely for the proposal and implementation of flora micro-reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Image showing the signage of the Penyal d\u2019Ifac Nord flora micro-reserve, in Penyal d\u2019Ifac Natural Park (Calp, Alicante), in November 2017. \/ Pau Laguna Ferrer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How relevant are aid programmes such as LIFE from the European Commission for conservation biology?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They are very important in those territories where there are no own resources or other community funds, as well as for the conservation of highly threatened species; the problem is that the funds can only be dedicated to species protected by the Habitats Directive, and that regulation has extremely deficient plant lists, based on documents from the 1980s! They are also relevant because they are the only multifunctional European funds, that is, they cover all types of conservation work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
At the Elafonissi flora micro-reserve (Crete, Greece), with Menorcan botanist Pere Fraga (on the right), Dr Costas Thanos (in the centre) and members of his team, during the field trip of the 1st<\/sup> International Congress on Flora Micro-reserves, held in Chania in November 2015 as part of the LIFE Cretaplant project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many years, many projects\u2026 Which one are you particularly proud of?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, the creation of the flora micro-reserves network. Also, increasingly, the development of recovery plans for the 3 plant species that benefit here from this protection tool: Silene hifacensis<\/em>, Limonium perplexum<\/em> and Cistus heterophyllus<\/em> subsp. carthaginensis<\/em>. In any case, I\u2019ve always felt prouder of carrying forward these projects thanks to an excellent team, the technicians who day by day carry out these tasks under my coordination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Photographing Silene hifacensis<\/em>, at Penyal d\u2019Ifac Natural Park. \/ Albert Navarro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You have also been director-warden of Carrascar de la Font Roja Natural Park. What would you highlight from that period?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was a very beautiful and exciting time, where I learnt a lot, and with broad local support for many of the initiatives I promoted. Parks are still far from being managed with enough vision for the future; the number of technical staff on the Generalitat payroll for their management, compared with other countries around us, is absolutely derisory, and this greatly hampers their ability to be more valued by society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What projects are you working on right now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my work at the Generalitat I\u2019m involved in many things at once, from continuing work with the micro-reserves network to developing recovery plans. In any case, this is 15 or 20% of my work; the rest is technical-bureaucratic work (reports, memoranda, authorisation procedures, etc.). As a more interesting new task, I handle the Nagoya Protocol desk for the fair sharing of biodiversity benefits, although most of the files I process concern microorganisms rather than plants!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The projects to which I dedicate the most creative or intellectual work I do in my free time, devoted mainly to ethnobotany, collaborating with a research team from the Iberian Southeast, and to advising or preparing some books and databases. I\u2019m also collaborating with the Conect-e platform for gathering knowledge about the uses of Spanish wild plants through citizen science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Locating populations of the orchid Anacamptis papilionacea<\/em> (= Orchis papilionacea<\/em>) in northern C\u00f3rdoba, between El Viso de los Pedroches and Belalc\u00e1zar. The species, abundant in that part of the Peninsula, is listed as Endangered in Valencian territory. \/ Mar Laguna Ferrer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How has your work changed over time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, current work is increasingly bureaucratic. Fortunately, there are more people committed to conservation, from ordinary citizens and businesses to administrations at all levels, but the human resources dedicated to it are totally insufficient. The last competitive examination for technicians in my service was\u2026 almost 25 years ago! Now I dedicate myself, among other things, to drafting projects so that others can do what I would like to do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the first and last thing you do when you enter your office?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After switching on the computer, I open my email and check whether there are requests for plant identification or other support for volunteers who send us data for the Biodiversity Data Bank. These are people who do invaluable work altruistically, and the speed of responses to what they ask us is really important to keeping morale high! The last thing is to check that I don\u2019t forget the portable hard drives, since afterwards I continue much pending work at home, which forces me to carry the information with me. This affects especially dissemination work (writing books, articles, etc.), which is impossible to do in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you work alone or as part of a team?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Always in a team! Nowadays it\u2019s almost impossible to think of working alone, and even less so in the case of threatened flora conservation, where many tasks must be developed in sequence over time. Teamwork is necessary and very enriching, especially when you see that your disciples and colleagues at the same time surpass the master!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Technical team of the LIFE project for the creation of the Flora Micro-reserves Network in April 1998. \/ Hugh Synge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do you think your work allows you to learn about topics not related to Botany?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my work I\u2019m a biologist, not just a botanist, so I necessarily learn about zoology, microbiology, etc. Of course, I have to keep up to date if possible with knowledge of ecology, geology, soil science, climatology and environmental sciences in general, but also with matters of environmental law and administrative procedures. Moreover, to do the work well requires social relationship skills that have nothing to do with botany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which do you consider the essential skill for your work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Probably the capacity for dialogue and understanding of other people. Authoritarianism and top-down<\/em> processes have less and less place in the relationships of trust between conservation actors. One must listen to and accept much of what others say, not simply listen to them in order to continue with one\u2019s own idea. Plants are conserved for the people, but with the people, and this implies a great deal of outreach work. The painstaking work with few people at a local level, who act as catalysts from the grassroots, following a bottom-up<\/em> strategy, achieves much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It must also be said that the prominence of the administration in biodiversity conservation matters is not only excessive, but inhibits grassroots initiatives. Often a talk about the usefulness of medicinal plants (that is, things that local people who are more interested but without botanical training can understand) does much more for conservation than the explanation of everything we do from CIEF or the Wildlife Service, which people may listen to with admiration, but which they assimilate as something alien that has nothing to do with their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is your assessment of the sector?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Good in terms of conservation in general, although to progress in the future it would be important to generate a network of social entities dedicated to the conservation of threatened plants and for conservation to be fundamentally in the hands of NGOs, as is done in most European countries. At present, the bulk of this task is carried out by public administration, and the only association committed to these tasks, SEBiCoP, is basicaly a scientific society that is still at the beginning of the road to developing these functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Participation as a volunteer in the planting of the threatened species Frangula<\/em> alnus<\/em> subsp. baetica<\/em> carried out by the Limne Foundation in the Chopera de Algemes\u00ed, in December 2015. The plants were produced at CIEF as part of programmes directed by Emili Laguna. \/ Mar Laguna Ferrer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a specialist in rare, endemic and threatened wild flora, could you give us a quick diagnosis of the situation here? What is the plan?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At present, we are often considered the most advanced autonomous community in flora conservation in Spain and, in fact, we frequently advise teams from other territories. In recent years, we are managing to save from extinction the Valencian species considered most threatened from the point of view of legal obligations. Looking to the future, we must continue with many more species, but as I mentioned before, conservation work is being carried out mainly from public administration; there are no groups or NGOs fundamentally focused on wild flora and this is a necessary task for the future. Local involvement isn\u2019t easy if one only preaches the importance of threatened species\u2014this doesn\u2019t \u2018engage\u2019 people. Conservation should be linked much more closely to popular knowledge, ethnobotany, touching more on the fibre of local identity. People become much more involved when they see the usefulness of plants, and many of the most threatened ones have or can have such uses (as ornamentals, medicinals, and so on). This would also require modifying the legislation, which is excessively restrictive and inhibits all these parallel initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What role does dissemination play?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Basic. It is the most important task for long-term conservation, and the one that receives the least support in the case of threatened plants, being much more oriented towards the physical technical work\u2014in situ<\/em> and ex situ<\/em>\u2014of species rescue, and also suffering from the lesser empathy that plants inspire compared with other elements, such as fauna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
October 2012, in the CIEF greenhouses. Emili Laguna examines an unusual autumn flowering of one of the species named after him, Cheirolophus lagunae<\/em> (= C. intybaceus<\/em> subsp. lagunae<\/em>). \/ Dolores Ferrer Cast\u00e1n.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recently, you participated in the 2nd<\/sup>Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week, held in Malta. What role do collaboration networks such as Genmeda or Care-Mediflora play?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once again basic, although we are still at the beginning of the journey. Genmeda is the network of Mediterranean plant genetic rescue centres, which emerged from two projects directed from CIEF by my colleague\u2014and now Director General of Natural Environment and Environmental Assessment\u2014Antoni Marzo, and over time the network of associated centres has grown notably. At present, I am fortunate to temporarily be the CIEF representative in Genmeda, and I believe its future is assured, not only because the Mediterranean is one of the great centres of plant biodiversity on the planet\u2014as conservation work would never end, with such an enormous list of endemic and threatened plants\u2014but also because it\u2019s an entity where all the shores of the Mare Nostrum converge, paying special attention to North Africa and the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
Emili Laguna delivering one of the plenary lectures on protection models for small spaces for flora during the 2nd<\/sup> edition of the Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week, held in November 2018 in Valletta, Malta. Dedicated to the botanical communicator Hugh Synge, who passed away in summer of the same year. \/ Pilar Valbuena \u2013 MPCW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is your relationship with the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic of the University of Valencia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The relationship has been great and satisfying. While studying for my Biology degree I often came to the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic; it was the best place to learn about plants, but also to walk, think, reflect\u2026 My first years at the Generalitat were practically in parallel with the rehabilitation process of the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic under the direction of Professor Manuel Costa, with whom I also had a close relationship through the botanical research agreements with our Council for the Environment, of which I was the faculty director. I\u2019ve had a good working and friendly relationship with all the directors of the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic\u2014Manuel Costa<\/a>, Antoni Aguilella<\/a>, Isabel Mateu<\/a> and Jaime G\u00fcemes<\/a>\u2014and also with many of the people who work or have worked there. The list of good friends would be too long, as would the list of good times spent together, especially the great gatherings of Spanish and European botanists that I have organised or co-organised: the first edition of the Spanish Congress of Plant Conservation Biology\u2014from which came the commitment to create SEBiCoP\u2014and the IV European Conference \u2018Planta Europa\u2019 on Plant Conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must have met interesting people through your work\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many, not to say a great many. Without doubt, tribute must be paid to the good conservationist friends who have left us. A few months ago Hugh Synge passed away, author of the first IUCN world red book of flora and editor of the magazine Plant Talk<\/em>, the only worldwide magazine on plant and fungus conservation. Hugh took a special interest in micro-reserves and in the initiatives we developed from the Generalitat. I coincided with him for many years on the Planta Europa steering committee, and I learnt a lot from his humanity and his good work in the task of environmental dissemination about the rescue of threatened plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
September 2004, during the celebration of the IV European Conference on Flora Conservation Planta Europa. Emili Laguna with Dr Jane Smart, executive secretary of Planta Europa, and currently director of the IUCN Global Species Conservation Programme; Dr David Bellamy, botanical communicator, founder of Plantlife<\/em> and director of the Conservation Foundation, and Dr Antoni Aguilella, director of Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic UV at that time. \/ Sergi Pitarch \u2013 Planta Europa \/ Generalitat Valenciana.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vivienda reformada en Campanar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A very amusing situation comes to mind, while I was preparing to give a talk to which I had been invited at the VII Symposium of the AIMJB (Ibero-Macaronesian Association of Botanic Gardens). I was in the toilets trying, without much success, to tie my tie knot; lack of practice, I\u2019m no friend of ties! Seeing my difficulty, three people who happened to be in the toilets at that moment came over: Jos\u00e9 Antonio del Ca\u00f1izo (at that time director of the Concepci\u00f3n Botanic Garden, in M\u00e1laga), Josep Llu\u00eds Gradaille (director of the S\u00f3ller Botanic Garden, in Mallorca) and Professor Vernon Heywood. Each one took charge of one of the steps to make the knot, while giving me an excellent practical lecture on the art of ties, types of knots, etc. Everyone who came in almost fled at the strangeness of that situation. It must be said, it was, without doubt, the best tie knot I\u2019ve ever worn\u2014not even at my wedding did I have a better one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
On the left, with snow at Collado del Buey, close to Fuente del Pozo, near Pico de las Barracas or Cerro Calder\u00f3n, the highest peak of the Valencian mountains, in the Rinc\u00f3n de Ademuz. Photo taken by Hugh Synge, editor of Plant Talk<\/em>, during the visit he made with botanist and writer John Akeroyd to prepare a feature about the flora micro-reserves. On the right, Emili Laguna with a makeshift hat to protect himself from the sun. The photograph was taken by Dr Ana Ibars in July 1996, during a break from the work that the Pteridology team of the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic UV and the Freshwater Species Conservation Centre of the Generalitat Valenciana were doing to cultivate Valencian species of the genus Marsilea in El Palmar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do you consider yourself a disciple of any particular botanist?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I think I\u2019ve had many teachers. Of course, my dissertation supervisors (my first research work): Professors Jos\u00e9 Mansanet and Rafael Curr\u00e1s\u2014who also later supervised my doctoral thesis. For floristic knowledge, without doubt the person from whom I\u2019ve learnt most and continue to learn is Gonzalo Mateo<\/a>. For my speciality, I owe much to C\u00e9sar G\u00f3mez-Campo, the introducer and pioneer of flora conservation in Spain; his advice guided the beginning of my work. I\u2019ve also learnt a lot from Professor Vernon Heywood, a source of wisdom for anyone who wants to have knowledge about flora conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What period of Botany would you have liked to live in?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The present one, without any doubt. It\u2019s a very important moment. I\u2019m probably part of the last generation that has received a sufficiently complete botanical training, much better than previous ones\u2014due to the advancement of knowledge\u2014and, without doubt, better than future ones\u2014because botanical science has almost disappeared from university training programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you encourage current biology students to dedicate themselves to the same work as you, and what do they have to take into account?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Biologists receive almost no training in environmental law or in sociological or environmental education topics, which are basic for conservation. Additionally, they would need to have very broad training in floristics and fine identification of biological species in general\u2014nowadays they don\u2019t care whether they are talking about vascular plants or earthworms! The current training programme doesn\u2019t give them any of these knowledge tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elaguna
On the left, photograph with a small specimen of Valencian tramussera<\/em> (Lupinus mariae-josephae<\/em>) in June 2006, shortly after CIEF botanist Albert Navarro relocated it in the Lloma del Tramussar de Llombai, when the plant was considered presumably extinct. \/ Inmaculada Ferrando. On the right, with a holm oak in Belalc\u00e1zar. At the Laguna household they have nicknamed it \u2018X chromosome oak\u2019 because of its appearance. After so many centuries of pruning with an axe, many holm oak specimens in the area had wounds that ended up undoing part of the trunks. \/ Pau Laguna.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How do you imagine future botanists?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As they are now beyond the Pyrenees: good florists from conservation NGOs. Nowadays, it\u2019s very difficult for anyone in most European universities to identify a plant you want to know about. In research centres we\u2019ll have experts in the biochemistry and genetics of plants, but without the spirit of wanting to know as much as possible about plant diversity. That is, they\u2019ll be excellent biochemists or geneticists but not botanists. Botanists, as we know them, will be in conservationist groups or associations but not in research centres. Let us hope that at least in the Jard\u00ed Bot\u00e0nic there will be botanists in 20 or 30 years\u2019 time!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why did you choose Botany? Plants have always fascinated me. I grew up between the city of Valencia and Belalc\u00e1zar, a village in the far north of the province of C\u00f3rdoba, where my maternal family comes from\u2014shepherds and farmers. For many years I had to share my books with the hoe, the sickle or the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":71472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7282],"tags":[7261,7283,7285],"coauthors":[2761],"class_list":["post-71454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","tag-botanica-en","tag-botanicdelmes-en","tag-conservacio-en"],"yoast_head":"\nBotanist of the Month: Emili Laguna | 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-emili-laguna\/\" \/>\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: Emili Laguna | Espores\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why did you choose Botany? 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