The Biodiversity Foundation celebrates the International Year of Biological Diversity by showcasing the work of a nature photographer, Andoni Canela, determined to reveal everyday scenes of Iberian fauna and their habitats through striking images. Today the exhibition “The Wild Gaze. Encounters with Iberian fauna” arrives at the Plentzia Environmental Classroom, in Bilbao (Paseo Ondarreta, s/n, Plentzia, Bizkaia), where the public can enjoy it until September 10.

It is an exciting story written from the scenes provided by dozens of species photographed in a state of absolute freedom. It is an unpublished document due to the complexity of portraying the elusive inhabitants of our forests, mountains and mountain ranges without being disturbed, without altering their environment in the slightest. And with a message: enjoying the photographs of bears, lynxes, wolves, capercaillie, foxes, bearded vultures, chamois is the first step to protect them.

The photographic exhibition that arrives today in Bilbao with the support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, has been produced by the author himself, in collaboration with the Biodiversity Foundation.

“The Wild Gaze” is made up of 30 spectacular images that welcome visitors from the columns of the arcades that shelter the Environmental Classroom of Plentzia, facing the Cantabrian Sea: they are the ambassadors of the International Year of Biological Diversity, bearers of a message of respect for the habitats where they have lived for thousands of years. wildlife sanctuaries that have made Spain one of the most biodiverse places in Europe.

Inside the Environmental Classroom, the enlarged images between 1.20 x 0.90 metres and 2.00 x 1.30 metres, varnished by hand and mounted on oak wood frames from beams more than three centuries old from an old farmhouse in the Catalan Pyrenees, continue the story of Iberian nature by provoking encounters of the public with the exciting natural life of the Peninsula. The explanatory sheets that accompany the photos reveal the places where they have been taken, as well as the conservation status of each species and its distribution in the Peninsula.

More than 20,000 people have already seen the exhibition in Valencia, Zaragoza and Madrid. After passing through Bilbao, the exhibition will continue its tour in Valladolid.

Children’s workshops
“The Wild Gaze. Encounters with Iberian fauna” is also designed to arouse the interest of children. One of the objectives of the exhibition is to stimulate respect, love and defense of nature in the little ones through games, stories and educational workshops led by professionals.

“The tapestry of biodiversity” is the workshop directed by the geologist and teacher Susana Pacheco based on the photographs in the exhibition. Based on the images, the teacher will propose different games, questions and narratives for the little ones to approach the hidden wild world of the Iberian Peninsula, with the aim of enjoying getting to know the protagonists of the exhibition better: bears, lynxes, wolves, capercaillie, bearded vultures, golden eagles… and the incredible places where they live in freedom. In a tapestry with the different habitats of the Iberian fauna, Susana Pacheco will propose to complete the wonderful puzzle of Spanish biodiversity. The scheduled date for the workshop is August 7, in the Environmental Classroom of Plentzia, from 12 to 17:30 hours. Approximate age: From 6 to 10 years.