activities: the old cork trees

the old cork trees
Location: Sierra Bermeja, Huelva
The Cork Oak Natural Park in Andalusia is 170,200 hectares big, one of the most important cork tree plantations in the world.

It's on the southwestern side of the Andalusia, Sierra Bermeja, one of the most beautiful mountain in Andalusia.

Cork is harvested from the Cork Oak tree, Quercus suber L. They are often found Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and north of Africa, mostly around Mediterranean Sea.

The cork trees start to be stripped by hand when they are about 30years old, and each tree produces about 30 kilos of cork. Cork is the most natural insulating material and its characteristics are used for fashion, construction, and other decoration industry. Once the trees are harvested, it will take between 5 to 10 years to recover its bark, which depends on the climate, temperature, and the soil.

Animals that you can meet in this forest: You will find animals like wild boar, roe deer, mountain goat, Iberian wildcat, rabbit, mostly harmless snakes, and many predatory birds. There are also about 50 different kinds of vegetal species that are considered to be rare, and some of them are in danger of extinction.