Cork Harvesting In Extremadura

CACERES, EXTREMADURA, SPAIN - JULY 15: A man transports cork extracted on the Valdelayegua de la Casa farm on July 15, 2022, in Aliseda, Caceres, Extremadura, Spain. Cork extraction in Extremadura is a traditional trade associated with sustaining the dehesa and the population in rural areas. This work in the field is a ritual in the Dehesa of Extremadura and is called 'saca del corcho' (cork harvesting). Cork is obtained from the cork oak (Quecus suber). It is a thermal and fire insulator; and it is the natural defense of these trees. Cork is the evolutionary response to fires and the high temperatures of some summers in the Mediterranean basin. This regeneration property is what led to its use, allowing the cork oak to survive after its removal. (Photo By Gustavo Valiente/Europa Press via Getty Images)