FIO XVII International Ornithological Tourism Fair 2022

FIO 2022

If we close our eyes and pay unique attention to our sense of smell, perhaps we can discover where we are. This is how this story begins, with a discovery.

Several people from different parts of the Iberian Peninsula start a trip with the same destination. Some arrive at night, and there is an important event that will take place in the coming days. Opening the car door and taking a deep breath invites to more than a mere olfactory pleasure. It smells like crab, cantueso, lavender and so many other plants that delight us next to a tremendously starry sky. It smells like meadow, unmistakable smell. We have arrived in Extremadura and if we didn't open our eyes, we would surely come to the same conclusion, at least we would get closer in geography.

On the weekend of February 18, the XVII International Ornithological Tourism Fair (Extremadura Birdwatching Fair), henceforth FIO, in the heart of the Monfragüe National Park. Since its first celebration, it has remained the dean and most important of ornithological fairs in Spain and the second in Europe. In 2022, it resumed its face-to-face activity after the virtual edition of 2021, which made it possible to verify the desire for activities of the attendees and the renewal of offers from companies.

The Ideas team moved from Asturias, Galicia, Burgos and Albacete. FIO 2022 is an important event for professionals dedicated to the environment. An ideal space to keep up to date with training, technical knowledge, photography, optics and other curiosities in the sector.

The 17th edition attracted more than 16,000 visitors, one of the highest of all the FIOs held. The number of exhibitors present this year was more than 100, including companies, NGOs and public entities.

SCHEDULING

The fair consisted of quality programming focused on different types of audience. Numerous conferences and colloquiums, practical workshops, children's activities tent, guided tours, international PHOTOFÍO photography contest, etc. For professionals in ornithological tourism, the fair is a meeting point for contracting with national and international companies in the sector. For the different companies that sell and distribute photographic and editorial material, FIO is also a key point for attendees to compare and purchase this type of material.

Thanks to FIO, Extremadura is positioned internationally as a great reference in the environmental and ornithological spheres. In recent years, new channels have opened up for nature tourism and, in particular, for ornithological tourism, based on respect as well as on the ecological and social capital of the chosen destinations.

Among all the conferences we are going to mention a few. The presentation of the European Envirocitizen project encompassed within ornithological citizen science and environmental citizenship. This project is part of the European initiative Swafs (science by and for society). Its purpose is to study the impact of citizen science activities, focusing mainly on ornithological activities, on increasing citizen commitment to the environment.

Continuing with another, we delve into the importance of the ecosystem services of necrophagous birds. Advantages and benefits that wildlife can bring us. In the case of necrophagous birds, it can be said that these benefits have begun to be identified and evaluated quite recently. The economic and social impact of the presence of these birds is a range open to learning. Specifically, the dialogue focused on vulture populations and why it is necessary to conserve their biodiversity.

From necrogaphs to The True Language of the Birds, a project that mixes literature and photography. Its originality lies in the fact that apart from being a scientific-technical guide, poetry gives a touch of watercolor to its entire set. Who said that art and science don't go hand in hand?

PROTAGONISTS

Speaking of poetry, we had the famous Margaret Atwood, Canadian novelist and poet, opening up and sharing one of his great passions: birds, in addition to showing his environmental and human rights activism. He spoke with Antonio Sandoval, who for years has been studying the migrations of seabirds from Cabo de Estaca de Bares, Galicia.

We take a leap again and pay close attention, underlining the title: Humanization or extinction of the known Eudald Carbonell. A powerful title in itself that attracted attention and of course, we had to attend. Our species, immersed in a scientific and technological revolution, must consider future strategies, that's how the talk was set out. Planetization, collective consciousness, the disappearance of leaders and the social hierarchy, concepts that he used in his conference, among many others. Without a doubt, a space for philosophy and change. Intense dialogues leave holes in the stomach that must be filled with reflection and thoroughly chewed thought for digestion to be gentle and concise.

From ethics and philosophy, through the Migres Program: 25 years of studying and monitoring the migration of birds through the Strait of Gibraltar, by Alejandro Onrubia. Over the past 25 years, censuses have made it possible to estimate the magnitude of the passage in some groups of birds and to evaluate changes in species composition, their numbers and migration schedules. In this way, changes in populations and migratory patterns are evident. Migratory passages are an important study for revealing and evaluating the importance of the effect of human activity on ecosystems.

What do you think if we close our eyes again and this time we focus on our ears? It appears on the scene Carlos de Hita. A sound journey from silence. A reference for any nature lover, sounds transport you to another reality and this time it took us to the stampede of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma.

Walking from conferences to workshops and we closed our eyes for the third time with José Carlos Sires. We attended his workshop on identifying bird sounds that took place in the church in the town of Villa Real de San Carlos, with very good acoustics to listen to the recordings of bird songs and their interpretation. For those who don't know him, José Carlos lost his full sight at the age of six. At the age of ten, his music teacher put a cassette with bird sounds in class and it was then the direct crush in Sires's ears. It was in 2014 that his father gave him a tape recorder with which he began to record sounds of birds and landscapes. His fine and absolute dedication to this sense transports you to another world. Sires is able to reveal to you another reality, another concentration when you walk through the field, new forms of perception. Without a doubt, an experience out of the ordinary and with a high value to all the passion and dedication it shows and teaches.

From a passion for sound to a passion for traces and traces. Luisa Abenza gives us an empirical lesson on bird tracks. A moment full of curiosity and even dancing. Because yes, sometimes, some birds seem to dance when they move, such as washerwomen. We analyze the steps of some birds, their way of moving, their behavior, the shape of their footprints as well as their excrement, feathers... They are more common than we usually think, traces can be found on many types of substrates, from the most leafy forest to the dust of a road. Bird tracking is a good complement for bird lovers. Author of the book: Birds that leave their mark. Learning to read the signs is the key!

And of course, we make a special break. Tachán! Why? Well, because the presentation of the book took place: When and where to see birds in Castilla La Mancha, where we had the presence of our colleague Xurxo Piñeiro. Over the months, the book presents the most interesting proposals for bird watching in one of the places of greatest ornithological interest in Spain. Some 450 places are mentioned throughout the five provinces in addition to including an updated list of all the birds that can be observed. Great work and dedication!

We let ourselves be carried away by the art of how to draw restless birds by Szabolcs Kókay (Hungary), self-taught, he spends many hours in the field drawing directly to nature and that nature can be seen in the absolute simplicity of his drawings.

Eloïsa Mateu in her workshop: Listening to ecosystem biodiversity. Through the founding of his record label Alosa, he published the first sound identification guides in Spain on birds, amphibians, mammals and orthopterans. Another discovery of the good ones.

We highlight accessible Monfragüe. A commitment to tourism for people with visual disabilities, in which for this purpose two hiking trails have been marked with the Blind Explorer technique, which allows walking using a 3D sound orientation system and audio descriptions of the environment. A breakthrough and an achievement.

From workshops to photographs, searching for your photograph, winged images, capturing the elusive, etc. A series of conferences dedicated solely to the art of photography. Images that provoke feelings, the story behind an image, the potential of our environment, the emotion, the moment and more was what FOTOFIO gave us.

And from photographs to color exhibition of a confinement inspired by José Antonio Sencianes. Panels made up of small oil paintings that he completed during 2020. Like the drawings by Ana Brown, a bird illustrator with a personal touch also focused on scientific illustration. A delight for the eyes.

The lines could be endless for three such intense days. What is clear is that if we want a place to activate all our senses, learn about new proposals, navigate through countless countries through photographs, recognize the delicacy of a drawing and open up our most intimate curiosity about the great world of birds, FIO is an ideal event and Extremadura is the open door for scratching the skin on our arms just by closing our eyes and smelling.

Like wind nomads, like them, birds, we spread our wings. Let's fly!