Before the beginning of the summer holidays, at the end of July, the HAS HUB members went to the Tapada Nacional de Mafra for a warm team building day dedicated to walking through the park, observing the landscape and its inhabitants, but also talking and sharing time and food with each other. During our visit, animals crossed our path in several different ways, from a fleeting group of deer, curious birds, hungry insects, timid boars and working birds of prey.
We started off by having a lovely time during a shared lunch at the Tapada de Mafra entrance picnic park. While we were having lively conversations to get to know each other, some animals started to grace us with their presence. Suddenly, several species of small birds started to swoop in to try to look for some food scraps. This led to some lateral conversations to arise: “What kind of bird is that?”, “I can’t tell very well, they’re so fast!”.
After this very enjoyable lunch, we initiated our walk through the Tapada de Mafra. It was a lovely hot summer day, so we set off equipped with hats to protect us from the sun, and everyone was carrying their water bottle. Due to the temperature, we chose a route that would offer more shade, making the walk easier. We went through sunny areas, shaded spots, steeper climbs, descents, and beautiful landscapes. Unlike the local non-human inhabitants, who cleverly hide away from the midday heat, we soldier on trying to catch glimpses into the lives of these animals. The entire journey offered us moments of immersion in the environment, interspersed with personal conversations and sharing. The sounds of Tapada, the smell of the air, the warm breeze, the vegetation and the presence of animals all contributed to an enriched experience. Some animals were more visible than others. At first, we didn’t see any deer or fallow deer, but the path was brimming with life. As we walked several insects crossed our path, being butterflies in the air, insects hunting each other, or just going about their day.
However, the presence of larger species was already noticeable in the tracks and trails marked on the dry summer ground. The spotting of footprints or droppings sparked new conversations. Which species could it be? Where were they going, and where had they come from? Was it a recent mark or an older one? Fortunately, we had Nuno Soares with us, who, as a biologist, enriched these conversations. We all began to cultivate an attentiveness to our surroundings, noticing traces of animals that would have gone unnoticed by less observant eyes. Finally, more than halfway through our route, we were rewarded with the sight of a few fallow deer. That moment remains in our memories and in the photographs taken by Henrique.
As a final moment, after an easy descent through the mountains, following what had been a very hot climb, we arrived just in time for an awareness session about birds of prey. There, we were able to see some flight demonstrations and to meet some of the animal staff of the Tapada de Mafra. We were introduced to a Harris’s Hawk and a Peregrine Falcon Hybrid who both worked in airports and urban spaces in order to keep other birds away. These birds, alongside others who worked in awareness sessions, called the Tapada their main home.
The main purpose of the day was to bring together different researchers of the HUB working on the relationships between animals and humans who come from different disciplines – anthropology, sociology, design and biology – so that they could meet each other in person and connect in a non academic setting. It was also the occasion to introduce the CLAN team members, Henrique Tereno and Clara Venâncio, with some of the ABIDE team members, Chiara Beneduce and Nuno Soares, all of which are working under the supervision of Professor Veronica Policarpo.
While it is possible to work within Human-Animal Studies without leaving one’s own field, it is through interdisciplinarity that the HAS can truly shine. In this regard, this type of outing is helpful to get different people with different perspectives together and aware of each other’s views. However, aside from this, there is also one very important aspect of this team building exercise, the animals themselves. One of the biggest issues within HAS is the inability to bring the animals “in”. Thus, what better place to get to know people who work about animals, than amongst the animals themselves. What we saw, listened, smelled and heard was all fuel to our lively conversations and sharing of ideas. It was through clues and glimpses that we were invited into what is a small part of the lives of the inhabitants of the Tapada de Mafra.
This event was co-organized with Project ABIDE – Animal ABidings: recoverIng from Disasters in more-than-human communities, coordinated by PI Verónica Policarpo, and funded by the European Union (ERC, ABIDE, CoG ID 101043231).
