Resin extraction has a long tradition across the Southern Iberian System, particularly in the Molina de Aragón area. However, market conditions, falling prices, and rural depopulation have brought the trade close to disappearing. Despite this, resin still offers opportunities. The Resin School, part of the Bosque Innova project managed by Rewilding Spain in the Molina de Aragón-Alto Tajo area, aims to support its revival.
The initiative forms part of the broader Iberian Highlands restoration landscape, where Rewilding Spain is working to restore ecological processes while supporting nature-based livelihoods. In an area affected by long-term depopulation, activities such as resin tapping can help link forest management with local employment, contributing to both ecological recovery and economic renewal. By bringing people back into actively managed pine forests, it can also support forest stewardship and help reduce fuel build-up, which is linked to wildfire risk.
“It is estimated that north of the Tagus River canyon there are 10,000 hectares of Pinus pinaster, the maritime pine, representing the potential to support up to 100 resin tappers,” explains Basilio Rodríguez, Head of Socioeconomic Development at Rewilding Spain and Director of the Resin School. This training initiative is part of the Bosque Innova project, funded by the Biodiversity Foundation, and is the first specialised training centre for this profession in Castilla-La Mancha.
Since its launch in January 2025, the school’s seven students have learned the trade by working through each stage of resin tapping across the seasons. Nearly fifty people applied for the programme. The selected group, five men and two women, are working as apprentice resin tappers while receiving a monthly salary.
As resin harvesting is seasonal, students also receive training in other forestry tasks and the use of specialised machinery. This broader experience is intended to improve their employment prospects once the course ends, particularly within the Southern Iberian System.
Ángel Álvarez, from Madrid, is one of the participants. He studied Business Administration and Management and worked in several roles before realising that “what I really loved was working in the mountains and forestry.” He later completed a higher vocational qualification in Forest Management and joined the Resin School through a job placement service.
Moving from Madrid to Cobeta (Guadalajara), he now lives in one of the three municipalities where the “matas”, or pine stands, are located, alongside Corduente and Torremocha del Pinar. Once he finishes the course, Ángel hopes “to continue with this lifestyle, which is what I love,” in a place he had not known before but where he now hopes to build his career.
For Noemí Alameda, also from Madrid, the training offers a way to expand her skills and continue working in the area. A forestry engineer with experience in a range of rural jobs, she has lived for several years in the province of Guadalajara, where her family roots lie.
“I enjoy working in nature, and this is an opportunity to keep learning,” she says. She sees potential in the trade, depending on market conditions. “If resin prices remain stable or increase, I do see potential. It is very hard work, so it needs to be worthwhile. It can be a main source of income or something combined with other jobs.”
The work is physically and mentally demanding. Resin tappers often travel long distances between trees, work alone, and carry out much of their work during the hottest months of the year. However, it can also be rewarding. As Ángel explains, “It’s something you do with your own hands in a natural environment. If you enjoy being alone and being in the mountains, it’s great.”
Resin is a natural product used in a range of industries. Two key components, turpentine and rosin, are used in products such as paints, cosmetics, adhesives, and construction materials. Its extraction has traditionally supported rural economies, particularly in areas affected by depopulation.
The Resin School is one of several initiatives developed through the Bosque Innova project. The project focuses on creating employment and supporting green entrepreneurship, while addressing depopulation, promoting forest management, and improving biodiversity in the Southern Iberian System. Rewilding Spain is part of the initiative alongside the COPADE Foundation, the CSIC General Foundation, FSC Spain, and the Ecómetro Association.
The Bosque Innova project is supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme.
This article was originally published on the Rewilding Spain website. To find out more about the Iberian Highlands restoration landscape, visit their project page.
