Almudena Lorenzo was born in October 1943 in Barcelona. Although Spanish by birth, she has spent more time in New Caledonia than in her native country. Indeed she has been living here since 1996.

She has always been interested in natural sciences, and she now works at the Parc Forestier as the head of the service, which is also part of the environment department of the Southern Province. In her view, this work allows her to feel useful to society and to work for a good cause, besides being very pleasant.

The Parc Forestier is both a zoo, a botanical garden and a natural park located in the city center.

Ms Lorenzo explains that the Parc Forestier has three objectives that are consistent with sustainable development. First it has an educational role and tries to make the public aware of the natural wealth of New Caledonia so that citizens become involved in its protection, changing some disrespectful habits towards the environment for example. Second, this park is dedicated to the conservation of species and natural areas, a purely environmental task. Finally, the development of recreational and tourist activities correspond to the economic objective.

To her mind, sustainability is the path to follow for a modern and accountable government that does not compromise on our well-being, even if the sacrifices it requires are largely offset by the satisfaction of doing things intelligently on the long term.

 

Marina Sabourin

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