Fernando González Bernáldez was awarded the first National Environmental Prize in 1988 for his career in defense of the natural world. In 1992, that same prize was awarded to the Spanish environmental groups who jointly decided that Professor Bernáldez was in charge of picking it up. When he was already hospitalized, he was picked up by his wife, Catherine Levassor.

After his death, the Autonomous University of Madrid dedicated one of its centers to the memory of Professor Bernáldez. Known as the «Fernando González Bernáldez» Science Library, it is located on the Cantoblanco campus of the AUM. At the entrance of the center, an information panel explains to visitors the meaning of this denomination, briefly summarizing the legacy of González Bernáldez. On the first floor of the building there is the Natural Space Documentation Center, a joint initiative of AUM and the Fernando González Bernáldez Foundation. In 2009 the library hosted an exhibition tribute whose virtual format can be visited at the following link: Exhibition tribute to Fernando González Bernáldez.

The Cantoblanco campus has also named roundabout after the ecologist, populated with rockroses and other Mediterranean plants typical of the landscapes that González Bernáldez loved so much. It is now included in the routes that the University has created as a celebration of its 50th anniversary (UAM 50 anniversary routes, UAM personalities tokens).

The figure and work of Fernando González Bernáldez continues to generate interest today. His books and works are still frequently consulted and cited, and his role as a driver of Earth Ecology in Spain is well recognized. The National Spainish Radio dedicated a program to him in 2010 called “Palustre Scribe: Fernando González Bernáldez.”