I root, I root, I root. It is Holy Week –or Semana Santa– and I am hearing sounds at once familiar and foreign. Sometimes I have trouble figuring out what time of year it is, especially lately. This winter (at least, I thought it was winter) was long and wonderful, filled with rain day after day. My perpetually thirsty roots were finally satiated, my branches feel stronger than ever, my leaves have begun to grow back for springtime with a new zest for life. But now, hearing the sounds of Semana Santa, I realize it must not have all been winter after all. What a strange springtime! I worry that if this spring has brought such unexpected rain, the next one could be equally unpredictable and bring early heat. I dread this week all year. It is nice to hear and see the people singing, laughing, dancing, socializing, celebrating – but they always leave cans and bottles and trash all over my trunk! My friends tell me the same happens to them. With the growth of the celebrations, this lack of care seems to get worse every year. Spilled beer leaks into my newly-nourished roots; I don’t know if seeing the joy of the people is worth enduring this forgotten, trash-filled week.

One thing I’ve noticed here is that there’s less “advertisements” for climate-healthy actions than there are in the United States (less ads for recycling, bringing your own bag to the supermarket, saving water, etc.). That is not to say, of course, that these programs aren’t present. Every large trash can in Cordoba is accompanied by recycling, compost, a glass-only bin; Mercadona, a large Spanish supermarket chain, has a bring-your-own-bag benefit; the biggest concerns of every family seem to be saving water and saving electricity. And when there are signs reminding passersby of beneficial environment-related actions, they are less targeted toward the individual and their culpability, and more direct themselves to the public at large. In terms of more artistic means of expression –music, art, etc.– I don’t see as much content as I would like, even about nature in general. But that which I have noticed seems to be on a more regional level: a short film about the agricultural world of Andalucía, photographs of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Granada, etc. It’s hard for me to say who or what spearheads these sort of artistic efforts –some seem to be inspired individuals, others entire organizations– but I love seeing the abundance of local pride transcribed into the form of creative artistic expression about the local environment.