Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno facts for kids

Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno Saénz de Santa María was born on May 4, 1961. She is a Spanish biologist and writer. She focuses on sharing information about nature and science with the public. This is called science communication.

Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno's Career Journey

Early Life and Education

Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno was born in Dakhla, Western Sahara. Her father was in the military and was stationed there. Even though she only lived there for a few years, this time was very important for her. It helped her discover her love for nature and shaped who she became.

She studied Biological Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid. She earned her degree in 1991. After graduating, she started working in a laboratory.

From Lab Work to Nature Outreach

After working in a lab for a few months, Mónica visited Alaska. This trip changed her path. Inspired by famous naturalists, she decided to leave the lab. She chose to dedicate her life to sharing knowledge about nature.

She began writing articles for the newspaper ABC in 1997. Later, in 2010, she also wrote for the online news site Republica.com [es].

In 2007, she created her own website. With help from the Aquae Foundation and her readers, she started the Diccionario Aceytuno de la Naturaleza. This is like a dictionary all about nature.

Videos and Poetry in Her Work

Starting in 2015, Mónica began making videos and short documentaries. She created these for different media outlets. In her work, she often combines nature with poetry. This means she uses beautiful language to describe the natural world.

In the same year, she also gave presentations about a haiku book. Haiku is a type of short Japanese poem. The book, called Lógica Sencilla, was written by her brother, Juan Fernández-Aceytuno.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno has received several awards for her important work. These awards celebrate her efforts to teach people about nature.

• In 2003, she won the Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente de Conservación de la Naturaleza National Environmental Award. This was for her great work in science outreach.
• In 2007, she received the Jaime de Foxá Literary Prize. This award is given by the Real Club de Monteros.
• One year later, in October 2008, she was given the Medal of Honor for Professional Merit. The College of Forestry Engineers awarded her for her work in newspapers and on the internet.
• In 2016, she received the Outreach Communication award. This was from the International Environmental Film Festival of the Canary Islands (FICMEC).

Published Works

Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno has written several books that help people connect with nature.

• El viento en las hamacas, published by Ediciones Luca de Tena in 2004.
• Diccionario Aceytuno de la Naturaleza, which is a work still being created with help from readers.
• El país de los pájaros que duermen en el aire, published by Espasa in 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Mónica Fernández-Aceytuno para niños