Planting seeds in the mind…

A minuscule shoot growing in a tub of expanded mica…a tiny but definitely surviving “Queen of the Andes”, or Puya Raimondi. All the others he’s tried growing up until now have succumbed to fungus before they passed heights of three millimetres… but this one already two centimetres high, and a brilliant green, has paved the way for a new generation – and just days later, 40 further minuscule “plumules” emerged in another seed tray.

The next step will be a form of hydroponic feeding – and if all goes well, the tropical oasis of Três Fontes, Algarve, Portugal, could be the next new habitat of this red-listed (read: endangered) species, which, in maturity can reach heights of up to 12 metres.

The remarkable plant culminates an 80-year life cycle by producing a single spectacular flower spike, comprising more than 3.000 flowers and at least six million seeds - and it owes its protected status almost totally to Lambe, who became “hooked” when he first caught sight of one and spent two years lobbying hundreds of people and writing almost 2.000 letters campaigning for the plant’s inclusion on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

What fascinates him is that the Puya grows in harsh mountain conditions in the Andes, 3.000-5.000 metres above sea level, in environments that otherwise host only low-lying vegetation.

“It’s head and shoulders above anything else in the area. How something that big can survive in such conditions, where the air is thin and it’s difficult to breathe, is, to me, one of the wonders of Nature.”

It’s an uphill struggle persuading other people of the plant’s significance, but Lambe continues undaunted. “Right now I’m hoping to use satellite imagery analysis to pinpoint the location of these plants and develop a habitat inventory so that we at least have an idea of how many there are and where.”

“There is a lot of local hostility to Puyas”, he explained. “People say they kill animals” (because the leaves’ claw-like thorns have been known to ensnare sheep). “So you can find them with embedded stones and even rocks that were thrown at them. They can be uprooted or burnt. It’s tragic, as they’re truly Nature’s treasures. They could be promoted as a tourist attraction! We really need to find out a lot more about them.”

“I want to leave a legacy – something behind when I go, and if there are Puyas around because Tony Lambe cared, well, that’ll be good enough for me!”

But while his tiny Puyas struggle against the odds in their strategically placed containers, Lambe is not idle. He’s simultaneously pushing for reforestation projects both here (hot favourite being the national and almost extinct Quercus canariensis) and in Peru; he’s an authority on landfill sites (having actively fought for high standards in the nearby “Aterro Sanitário”) and is regularly sought out for help and advice by people all over Portugal facing the prospect of nearby landfills. He’s also become an unofficial expert on Red Palm Weevil, the bug that is destroying the region’s palm trees - advising not only local council parks departments, but also supplying scientists in California with samples from Portugal and Spain as they attempt to set up a DNA database on RPW - which, in the last 20 years, has become the greatest global palm pest.

As an “aficionado” of palms and exotic plants, Lambe is in constant touch with botanical associations, swapping seeds and information, and when not working on his own enchantingly tropical garden (“one of the greatest thrills for me is to grow things in different environments”), he’s busy researching into “microgeração”, Portugal’s “far-sighted” initiative to allow citizens to produce and sell their own solar-powered electricity; as well as campaigning generally for vegetarianism, which he maintains is the only solution for feeding the world sustainably.

Considering the output and (pre)occupations of most Algarve residents (particularly the “estrangeiro” variety), Lambe’s record is nothing short of remarkable.

But how did all the campaigning start? What made him this self-styled environmental warrior/ guru?

“Ahh!” he grins. “Now that’s a very long story! I’ve always loved Nature, and Portugal gave me the love of plants” (Lambe’s family moved to the Algarve from Argentina over 50 years ago), and although he began life “earning pots of money” as a landscape architect in South America, he soon realised his heart lay in environmental conservation.

He became a volunteer activist first for the American Sierra Club (while practising architecture, space station design and landscaping in New York) and went on to work with a number of American NGOs intent on changing environmental policy.

The Rio Summit in 1992 was his “epiphany” as it proved another inspirational quotation that he’s particularly fond of:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)

“It was the first time in history that civilian society became a party to world policy!” He recalls – although, as always, initial elation gave way to frustration as a result of ensuing “human indifference”.

“There are people on whom civilization is built; people who will fight for the causes they believe in – but sadly there are too few of them.

“The planet, on whose health ours depends, is in serious trouble. We are consuming, wasting, polluting and destroying creation at unprecedented speed. For the future of our children and all life, every one of us must change not only how we live, but how we think.”

A tall order – but for someone who has already found 10.000 ways that don’t work, that’s never been a problem…

Antonio Lambe is responsible for the NGO “Acción Ambiental” which runs environmental projects in Peru and various other countries.

His email is: Email