2023-10-25 13:31:06
EFE
Cabezn de la Sal (Cantabria)
Updated Wednesday, October 25, 2023 – 13:31
The sequoia grove of Mount Cabezín, with 848 specimens, will receive more than 200,000 visitors this year
Redwood forest of Cabezn de la SalPABLO AYERBE | EFECantabria Sequoia Natural Monument in Cabezn de la Sal
Visitors to the redwood forest of Monte Cabezn, the Cantabrian natural monument that could be in danger of conservation because tourists hug and even take bark from those trees, they advocate for “respect” and “common sense” to maintain this space, and some do not rule out that the only measure is charge to access it.
However, the mayor of Cabezán de la Sal, Oscar López, the tourism technician of that town hall, Sara Escalante, and the nature guide Laura San Miguel have assured Efe that they do not see it necessary to charge to maintain that forest, but they do agree in which you have to control the number of tourists who enter every year.
Sara Escalante remembers that a few years ago not even the residents of Cabezn de la Sal knew of the existence of this redwood forest, when now this Cantabrian municipality estimates that about 200,000 visitors will visit this 2023 for that space, declared in 2003 natural monument.
The forest, of 2.5 hectares, has 848 sequoias that were planted in 1940 and that make up the most important group of this type of trees in Europe and unique in this species, which is not native to European countries.
The sequoias of Monte Cabezán have an average of 37 meters, but these trees can exceed 100, according to the mayor of this municipality, who recognizes the deterioration of the trees due to the number of people who, since the media and the social networks made them known, the They hug them, touch them and even tear off the bark to take them as souvenirs.
“This cannot be lost, it is a wonder, people have to learn to behave as if they were at home,” one of the members of the two groups of tourists who have toured this forest told Efe.
Another visitor has assured that he has taken a photo in front of the sequoia with his arms open, which resembles a hug without touching the tree, because he does not understand that people touch those sequoias when You don’t do it if you are going to see some paintings in a cave or the altar of a church.
Therefore, this visitor to the redwood forest would not mind paying a “small entrance fee” to visit this space again, if that means maintaining and preserving it always.
Stop hugging the redwoods
“You can see that people want contact with nature, but they have to have respect,” says another tourist, who believes that those who love nature should “take heart and give up the desire to hug” the redwoods.
Another young man who walked among these trees this Tuesday, native to the west coast of North America, describes this forest as “imposing” and, therefore, asks that people be aware of the importance of its conservation. “I don’t think there are more measures,” she considers.
“Common sense” are the two words of the people who have come to the Cantabrian mountain to see these sequoias, whose situation has gone viral on social networks after also meeting each other through them.
The mayor of Cabezán de la Sal recognizes that the overcrowding of this space “is detrimental to the forest” and, therefore, insists that we must regularize visits and avoid hugging trees, Although for this it will not have to be charged, but rather control or make people understand the importance of this space.
“When you are in the natural environment you have to respect it, because this is everyone’s heritage that we have to take care of (…) Let’s all do something together, but something imminently,” insists the Cabezín Tourism technician from the Salt.
And Laura San Miguel, from the Naturea association dedicated to the dissemination of the Cantabrian natural heritage through guided tours, advocates “changing the vision” of tourists by setting a capacity or guided tours, which allow control at the entrance. from the park.
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