Alba López Garrido

Alba López Garrido

artisans,asturiasmap

1991

iain

Spanish

Artisan

794

current,43.360259,-5.844758;

Scotland

Alba López Garrido

https://aturruta.com/

TEXT

Alba was born in Madrid but moved to Asturias in 2014, and currently lives in the village of Veneros in the municipality of Caso. Since 2016, she has been a beekeeper, mountain guide, and works as a manager of the beekeeping and wood museums in Caso. Alba has her own company called ‘Aturruta’ where she gives interpretive tours of the Redes Natural Park to raise awareness of the cultural and historical values of the area. She also organises guided tours of the beekeeping museum and the wood museum in Caso. Beekeeping workshops are currently offered to visitors so that they can learn about the environmental value of bees' work and the value of honey as a traditional craft.

LAPONTE_PR_13

2067

aturrutaredes@gmail.com

facebook,https://www.facebook.com/aturruta;instagram,https://www.instagram.com/aturrutaredes/?igshid=qhuu2e6ce8rg;

Spanish phone code: 34 / 644 27 28 56

other (specify),other (specify)

In 2018, Alba began her apprenticeship and it was her partner who taught her all the basic techniques. She started out as her partner's assistant, where she gradually learned about the different processes. Unfortunately, in that same year, 2018, her partner had an accident in the mountains and passed away. From that moment on, Alba took charge of the hives and continued her apprenticeship on her own, reading books, searching for information on the internet, watching videos/tutorials, etc. Alba mentions that her partner's family has been very supportive and that without their help the project would not have gone ahead.

She currently offers basic workshops with educational themes for tourists and external visitors, but she does not have any formal apprentices seeking to continue her legacy.

Sofía Gonzalez Sandoval

female

incomer

In Alba's case, she is not only a beekeeper, she is also a mountain guide. Therefore, it is very important to have a deep knowledge of the territory, its history, its resources, the changes it has undergone over time, and the aspects that make this area unique and important in terms of its conservation. In addition, she has knowledge of heritage interpretation, enabling her to conduct tours of the museums in the municipality of Caso. When it comes to beekeeping, it is important to learn not only about bees as a species, but also about their needs in the territory, the climatic threats (or invasive species) they face, etc.

Alba was born in Madrid but moved to Asturias in 2014, and currently lives in the village of Veneros in the municipality of Caso. Since 2016, she has been a beekeeper, mountain guide, and works in the beekeeping and wood museums in Caso. Alba mentions that she found a better quality of life in a rural area than in a big city like Madrid, as the village is like her family, there is solidarity and support, and in nature she finds more freedom and opportunities to do meaningful activities.

Local bees from the region.

full-time paid job

N/A

Bees do not generate waste. Everything is used for their own consumption: honey and wax.

To produce honey, Alba continues to use traditional techniques, carrying out the processes by hand. For example, they use wooden hives, which are simple wooden boxes with various compartments, hand tools (such as knives for scraping wax) and manual cranks to process honey (instead of electric centrifuges). She mentions that although much time has passed and technology is now available, many beekeepers continue to use traditional techniques.

1) Wooden beehives – boxes with various compartments inside, which are stacked on top of each other. 2) Knives and scrapers for scraping honey and wax. 3) Beekeeper's suit for protection. 4) Traditional smoker. 5) Their hands to carefully handle the hives.

For Alba, her tools are very special because they are all inherited. For example, some tools come from neighbours who used to be beekeepers but can no longer do so due to their advanced age, or tools that were given to her by friends. Because of this, whenever a tool breaks, she tries to repair it (with glue, tape, etc.) so as not to throw anything away, because she is fond of all her tools. She mentions that it is important to take care of what has been inherited because it has a special value and history.

In beekeeping, Alba does not use any type of energy, as everything is done by hand and she does not have industrial machinery or any other type of modern technology.

N/A

Yes, their workplace is the museums mentioned above and the Redes Natural Park. As for the beekeeping workshops, part of the workshops consist of visiting the apiaries located in the mountains in Caso. It is a high-altitude place with lots of nature and local scenery.

100% natural honey.

Alba does not sell the honey she produces, as she has very few apiaries. The honey is produced for two reasons: 1) for ecological/environmental reasons, as bees are pollinators that are essential for the balance of ecosystems, and the Beekeeping Museum aims to preserve traditional beekeeping as a traditional craft, as well as protecting bee populations. 2) for educational reasons, to raise awareness of the importance of protecting bees, the value of honey as a symbol of Asturian traditions, as a nutritious product and as a historical craft.

N/A

Yes, at the Caso Beekeeping Museum, workshops are given to visitors explaining all the basic principles of beekeeping: types of bees in the region, the bee cycle and their different roles in the hive, how an apiary works, how honey is obtained, the different types of tools used, etc. After the theoretical explanation inside the museum, the group goes to the apiaries (up in the mountain) so they can put their knowledge into practice.

N/A

Most of the customers who take part in the beekeeping workshops and museum visits are local people from Asturias and foreigners. During the summer, Alba receives many visits from foreigners who are in the area and looking for a variety of activities. Alba mentions that it is difficult to get local participation from the municipality of Caso.

N/A

Yes, she is a mountain guide and is responsible for managing visits to the Redes de Caso Natural Park. She also manages the Beekeeping Museum and the Wood Museum in the same municipality. Her main activities are guided tours of the museums and beekeeping workshops with visitors, so that they can learn the basic principles of honey production using traditional techniques.

1) "Los visitantes llegan aquí, hasta Caso, gracias a las redes sociales. Es increíble lo mucho que se mueve la gente en las redes sociales! yo publico algún evento y la gente lo ve de inmediato y participan. También estamos en la página web del ayuntamiento de Caso y eso ayuda mucho". 2) "Queremos que lleguen turistas que estén interesados en lo que estamos contanto, que se interesen por lo que vivimos y por nuestro territorio. No queremos este turismo masivo y esta persona insensible que tú le estás mostrando algo (como una planta local en peligro de extinción) y que ni presten atención."

Yes, she is part of the ‘Caso Beekeepers Association’ and a network called ‘Redes Natural’ (Natural Networks), which is a network of local entrepreneurs (people from the community) who support each other to promote economic activity in Caso, support entrepreneurship, etc.

One of the main challenges is the distance and being located in a little-known rural area. According to Alba, the municipality of Caso is not very far away, and access is not difficult; it is a common road that is easy to reach. However, for tourists, it is not attractive to go to rural areas that are not so well known, as they want quick activities, things that are along the way, places close to more urban areas

"Las personas creen que un sitio está muy lejos solo porque no lo conocen, creen que el acceso a estas zonas es difícil o peligroso solo por el simple hecho de no estar familiarizados con el territorio, es falta de educación y eso es un reto para el turismo".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwoSCRVCGc0 https://www.turismoasturias.es/descubre/cultura/museos-y-espacios-culturales/espacios-culturales/aula-de-la-apicultura