Pastos de la Sierra Observatory Technical Session

This was the first talk of the year and the first activity organised since the creation, on 6 January, of the Pastos de la Sierra Observatory, a local, non-profit initiative based in Cazalla de la Sierra (Seville, Spain). The activity took place at Instituto El Carmen (Cazalla de la Sierra), with students from the Higher Vocational Training Programme in Forest Management (approximately 20 students and 2 teachers). It consisted of a technical classroom session —where the International Year and the Observatory were introduced, followed by a talk on key aspects of dehesa grasslands— and a subsequent field visit to a nearby plot. During the fieldwork, participants focused on identifying the type of grassland, assessing its phenological stage, recognising the species present, and observing the effects of livestock management. Student participation was very active, and the teaching staff have expressed their interest in giving continuity to this collaboration through future activities.