The once-lush wildflower meadow now consists of nothing but sparse blades of grass, after cows were turned out onto the land during the rain-soaked winter—a place where only sheep usually grazed. The sparsely scattered holm oaks (Dehesa) have been heavily pruned. On the ground lie the severed branches, with their freshly sprouted leaves, waiting to be burned. The sky is azure blue, dotted with white clouds.

Reconstruction in Albuera following change of use

Maintenance trip to Spain, May 2026

A heavy workload awaited us on this year’s trip, as the solar power system and many sensors had sustained extensive damage. Following the deaths of the land's previous owners, the property was divided among their descendants; the section where the MANIP project’s mobile tower stands was subsequently converted into a pasture for cattle.

As a result, the existing protective measures for the measuring instruments and probes—originally designed for an area grazed only by sheep—proved insufficient, and many devices were destroyed or damaged by the cattle.

 

A view of the ground in Albuera, Spain. A meadow—or rather, a ruined meadow—with plenty of bare earth, hoofprints, and parched, pockmarked soil. It was particularly difficult to walk on this churned-up, dry terrain.
A look at the ground near Albuera in Spain. A magical, lush, tall green meadow filled with white, purple, and yellow blossoms and teeming with countless insects.
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