THE CORK IN THE BOTTLE
After
reading about this trip in the New
York Times
a couple years ago I knew it was a trip for me. It didn't take
long for me to get to the computer to start some research which
eventually led me to the Cork Alliance website and it's Executive
Director, Patrick
Spencer, with whom I made contact and later watched his TED Talk.
We
visited 4 of Spain's 17
autonomous
communities (states), and learned a lot of Spanish history along the
way. Cork is harvested in June and July so there are ony four tours a
year and because of the unique and small accomadations this company
limits each group to only ten people. The first night we stayed in a
16th century palace, a couple of times in the forest, once close to
the Portugal border and another time in an apartment on a large
estate. In Andalusia we spent seeral days in a old hospital that had
been converted to a hotel.
This
trip absolutely fulfilled my preference for getting out into the
countryside and mingling with the people. Lunch in the forest with
the workers was a delight both times.
Seven
million acres of cork forest stand in 7 countries that have oak cork
trees: Spain, Portugal, France, Tunsia, Morocco, Italy, and Algeria;
91% of cork forests are family owned. Bark is harvested
by hand every 9 years. It is the only
tree that bark can be removed from and conitue to live.
With an axe, the experts detach the grey bark from the oaks. The
trunks of the trees then turn orange, yellow or red. No
mechanical tools have been used in these forests for 2000 years. The
workers are the highest paid agricultural workers in world.
The
industry is the 3rd
highest biodiversity industry in the world; 13,000 plants grow in the
areas while animals, many endemic, live in the forests.
Trees
are protected in all 7 countries, and it is illegal to cut them down.
The Industry, a 0% waste industry is fully sustainable.
Each year 12 billion corks are made.
In
spite of the misconception, the cork forests are in jeopardy because
of under
use not overuse .
A
fun
little known factoid: the inside of the shuttle fuel tanks are lined
with cork protecting the shuttle on re-entry as cork will not burn
below 1000 degrees.
