Watching an Iberian lynx crossing Sierra Morena, following the life of a bird’s nest or gazing for hours at a natural landscape without leaving home**. Nature webcams are booming in Spain** and are transforming how thousands of people connect with wildlife and protected areas.
The phenomenon is not new, but it has gained visibility thanks to better technology, high-definition streaming and permanent access via websites, YouTube and social networks.
What began as a tool for scientific monitoring and environmental outreach has also become a form of slow digital leisure, halfway between wildlife watching, environmental education and virtual tourism.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry for Ecological Transition already highlighted the role of these cameras (source in Spanish) as a way of following “nature live and in real time without leaving home”.
The CENEAM, which reports to the Autonomous Body for National Parks, noted at the time that it was enough to connect to the cameras installed by conservation organisations, universities, public institutions and research centres to “follow the pulse of nature live and in real time” and better understand the challenges faced by wild birds during the breeding season.
