Jesus Garzón Jesus Garzón is one of the world’s leading experts on environmental conservation and the protection of threatened species. In 1992, he established Trashumancia y Naturaleza to bring transhumance back to Spain. Transhumance (the seasonal migration of sheep and cattle from the plains in winter to higher pastures in summer) is vital not just for historical and cultural but also for environmental reasons. If cattle are forced to remain in the same place over the summer they create immense pressure on the land due to trampling and excessive grazing. Garzón has trained shepherds to revive this tradition, including the communal celebrations in villages along the transhumance trails. The sheep act as carriers of seed from one environment to another and thus help create the ideal habitat for other species. Trashumancia y Naturaleza provides help to any livestock owner who wishes to move sheep and cattle along the traditional cañadas by supplying advice and practical hands-on support in the form of specialized shepherds, trained dogs and tame leading animals. The revival of transhumance is playing an important role in restoring plants and animals to the Spanish mountains, but also in reawakening ‘ghost villages’. Such places now live indirectly off transhumance in so far as the association rents grazing land from them, and the shepherds buy provisions there. Last but not least, it has renewed the inhabitants’ feeling of belonging to their mountains. Garzón won a Slow Food Award in 2002.