Mined for over 5,000 years, but still a natural wonder and a source of pride for the local population of the Southwest of Spain. Riotinto was once the largest open-air mine in the world. It was here in 1888, where the first environmentally focused demonstration occurred in Spanish history-what became known as the "year of the shots".
Rio Tinto and the Mines is my first collaboration with my husband, Adam Lederer as writer, and was published in Natural History Magazine May issue 2017. http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/perspectives/013198/rio-tinto-and-the-mines Entrenched in antiquity, the feature distills centuries of exploitation into a piece that focuses on stoking conversation about human values and our interactions with nature. It talks about environment and our impact on it, but also about culture, and science. It reminds us of the long lasting effects that outlive our memory of the truth and genesis of creation.