By gentility of the Environment and Territory Arrangement Council of the Community of Madrid, personalities, managers and coordinators of different Biosphere Reserves of the world, visited and knew this small but important Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve, example of sustainable development.

The Saturday 9 of February and as an end of a week full of conferences and meetings, within the III tWorld-wide Congress of Biosphere Reserves, the assistants chose to make an excursion to one of three Spanish Biosphere Reserves, being the one of Sierra del Rincón chosen by more of a hundred congressmen.

The day began in Horcajuelo de la Sierra, with the welcome of the visitors on the part of the Director of Promotion and Environmental Discipline of the Environment and Territory Arrangement Council, the Mayors and local population of the five municipalities, which compose this Reserve. The act was followed by a breakfast and the departure by bus towards La Hiruela. In this municipality during the morning they visited the Flouring Mill, its working and its surroundings, the oldest Traditional Apiary of the Community of Madrid, with beehives in hollow trunks of oak, and the Coal, example of subsistence of the local population until years 60.  These three resources are comprised in a route called “Footpath of the Life Jobs”. Before the lunch, they visited Huerta Catalina, one of the projects that the Equipment of Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve is developing, and it is based on the recovery, production and guards of the fruit biodiversity in the zone.

The succulent lunch, in the seat of La Hiruela, was livened up by musicians who, after the desserts, animated to the congressmen and the local population to dance together.

A rest and the last visit, this time to the Hayedo de Montejo, Natural Site of National Interest, a forest of beechs and centennial oaks, unique in the Community of Madrid.

This great visit counted on the implication of the Environment and Territory Arrangement Council, the Foundation for the Investigation and Environmental Development, Galsigma, the City councils and of the Equipment of Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve, being this last one  the one in charge to organize, to guide and to present to the representatives of the different Biosphere Reserves of the world, in its corresponding languages, this Sierra del Rincón, declared by UNESCO in the 2005 Biosphere Reserve. www.sierradelrincon.org

Special mention deserves the support during all the event of the Civil Guard of Buitrago, Civil defense of La Cabrera, Park of Firemen of Lozoyuela and SUMA of the Community of Madrid.

They were clear the interest and enthusiasm of the congressmen to know this privileged area and the customs of its inhabitants. As well as the satisfaction of the local population who saw that their villages located in the old and bad called “poor mountain range” today comprise of a Biosphere Reserve, with projects and other futures, well-known already in other countries.