The Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) publicly expressed its "deepest regret" for the death of Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, which it classifies as "a central figure in the conservation of nature and landscape in Portugal".
In a note of regret sent to the editorial offices, ICNF stresses that «Ribeiro Telles brought to the center of the public debate themes such as territorial planning, the value of the landscape understood far beyond its aesthetic value, nature conservation, protected areas , including the need for the participation of populations in its management, respect for traditional land uses, the need for balance between the different functions of forest management».
In addition, he recalls, it was «during his political mandate that the National Service of Parks, Reserves and Landscape Heritage was created, predecessor of the current ICNF».
"Despite the clear and direct way in which he has always defended his ideas and has never been inhibited from expressing them, often in controversial matters, there are few who were not sensitive to the human qualities that allowed the widespread recognition of his elevation of spirit, regardless of any agreement or disagreement,” adds the ICNF.
Presenting to family, friends and colleagues «the most sincere and heartfelt condolences», the ICNF note ends with a quote from a book written in 1960 by Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles and Francisco Caldeira Cabral, both now deceased:
"The functions of the tree, forest and hedge in the landscape, considering both rural and natural spaces and urban and industrial spaces, or occupied by infrastructure, are to guarantee the presence of wildlife, promote the most convenient circulation of water and from the air, to maintain the balance of ecosystems, ensure the fertility of fields, counterbalance with its presence, the artificiality of the urban environment that so much affects the psychosomatic health of populations, and also to value the scale and proportion of the built volumes. (…) It is necessary to think about the planning of the territory and the landscape in a more global and integrated way, which will correspond to a revaluation of the tree and the ways in which it appears in the landscape, both in rural and urban spaces".
in "The Tree in Portugal" (Caldeira Cabral F., Ribeiro Teles G., 1960)
Portugal is currently experiencing a day of national mourning in memory and tribute to Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, who died this Wednesday, at the age of 98, who stood out as a pioneer in landscape architecture.
Comments