The foundation ́s mission, inspired by the legacy of Professor Fernando González Bernáldez, is to contribute to the collection, dissemination, and development of scientific, intellectual, and ethical understanding through ecological research, environmental education, and nature conservation.
Fernando González Bernáldez (Salamanca, 1933 – Madrid, 1992) was one of the most eminent Spanish ecologists of his generation. Considered the driver of terrestrial ecology in Spain, he is now a well-known reference of the Spanish conservation movement. He worked in CSIC in the University of Sevilla and was a professor of ecology at the Autonomous University of Madrid from 1975 until his premature death. He was a naturalist by vocaction and dedication, The foundation ́s mission, inspired by the legacy of Professor Fernando González Bernáldez, is to contribute to the collection, dissemination, and development of scientific, intellectual, and ethical understanding through ecological research, environmental education, and nature conservation. His scientific curiosity always lead him to investigate, often empirically and theoretically, beyond simply the organization and function of ecosystems.
González Bernáldez was always very respected among conservationists and ecologists for his commitment in defending the environment. In the 1980s, he became involved in public responsibility tasks and eventually the General Management of Environment. In 1988, the Ministry of Public Works and Urban Planning, from which the Ministry of Environment would be formed, awarded the first National Environmental Prize to Bernáldez for his career in defense of the natural world.
Bernáldez’s scientific contributions fall under the broad unifying concept of landscape interpretation. In his work he synthesized elements of both social and human sciences and adopted an integrated and interdisciplinary vision of the complexes formed by natural and social systems. He was always a defender of a multidisciplinary vision in the study of nature and the need to build bridges between scientific knowledge and the application to the solution of environmental problems, promoting research applied to management and management based on scientific knowledge
The conviction that environmental education is the key to reaching solutions for environmental problems led Professor Bernáldez to develop numerous initiatives, such as spearheading the first research to assess the effectiveness of environmental education programs. He participated in numerous national and international forums, thereby promoting citizen participation in environmental issues.
