THE FAUNA WHICH ACCOMPANIES US We hope that these descriptions persuade you to visit la Devesa del Parque Natural de L'Albufera and that you may discover even prettier things than those we’ve found. We also ask you, during your visit through the park, not to disturb the animals and the plants you may find, and to take care of nature, as one day she may take care of us.

IBERIAN SKINK  Imagine a small lizard with very small legs, moving like a snake, with very shiny skin. We have already seen 4 or 5 while uprooting the deep Carpobrotus roots. They hide quickly behind the bushes or submerge in the sand. Owing to their beautiful shiny skin, they are known as lluentes in Valencia. It is not usual to see many in la Devesa.

COULD THAT BE A SPIDER HATCHING ITS EGGS? Who’s never been just a little scared to see something which doesn’t look like anything you’ve ever seen before? As we were walking along a trail, we saw a sort of yellow bag hanging among the bushes. It was 3 cm long by 1 cm wide, hanging vertically and filled with we don’t know what. It could be a spider hatching its eggs, but if you come across one, don’t turn your back on it, just in case.

STRANGE WASPS  In the Devesa, there are wasps which are not yellow and black as you would expect. Their belly is red. They nest in colonies, building galleries where they put their eggs, but they also leave an animal next to eggs which will serve as food for the offsprings. How peculiar!  In addition, the prey captured by the wasp stays alive, but it is paralyzed, since its raptor has previously inoculated it with its poison. This way the wasp makes sure that when their offsprings are born, they already have a good supply of fresh food.

ECORICE PROJECT When autumn comes, the same scene is repeated year after year in the city of Valencia and the southern area where the Park is located. A huge cloud covers the area with smoke for several days, causing serious health problems to people with respiratory problems, and a serious impact on the ecosystem. Harvest time has arrived, with the burning of rice straw cultivated in the Marjal de l’Albufera, a traditional custom to which the Life Ecorice Project aims to provide a solution by offering an alternative to manage the straw in a sustainable way. Javi Jiménez the coordinator of the Ecorice Life Environment Project gave an informative lecture in January.

During the different phases of the Project, rice straw is gathered, packed, and stored, while potential clients and different new markets are searched: straw blankets, mulch, compost, etc… Public organizations and private companies collaborate as partners: the Regional Ministry for Territory and Housing, the Agrarian City Council, Projar, Fuvama, Innova Verde, and Picó, as well as the Valencian Community Foundation. The involvement of a colleague from the O.T.D.A with long experience in rice growing was interesting. He expressed the interests of farmers regarding this new alternative. The Brigade found the project very interesting, as there is no doubt that in the future, it will contribute to improve health conditions and the environment, without ignoring the economic interest of the Marjal’s farmers