Love hiking, beaches, or just chatting about the weather? In this lesson, you’ll learn useful Spanish for nature and the environment — the stuff you’ll use on trips, in small talk, and when you want to be eco-friendly. Short phrases, clear patterns, and practice along the way. Vamos.

Naturaleza y medio ambiente: core words

Let’s start with places you see outside. I’ll include the article (el/la) to help you remember gender.

• el bosque = forest
• la montaña = mountain
• el río = river
• el lago = lake
• el mar = sea
• la playa = beach
• el desierto = desert
• la isla = island
• la cascada = waterfall
• el valle = valley
• el parque nacional = national park

Environmental words you’ll hear a lot:

• el medio ambiente = the environment
• la contaminación = pollution
• la basura = trash
• el reciclaje = recycling
• el plástico / el vidrio / el papel = plastic / glass / paper
• la energía renovable = renewable energy
• el cambio climático = climate change
• proteger = to protect
• reciclar = to recycle
• ahorrar (agua/energía) = to save (water/energy)
• reducir / reutilizar = to reduce / to reuse

Example:

• Me gusta caminar por el bosque. = I like to walk in the forest.
• La contaminación del aire es un problema. = Air pollution is a problem.

El tiempo y el clima: talking about weather

Spanish uses different patterns for weather. Learn these mini-templates:

• Hace + noun: Hace frío/calor/viento/sol. = It’s cold/hot/windy/sunny.
• Hay + noun: Hay nubes/niebla/tormenta. = There are clouds/there is fog/a storm.
• Está + adjective: Está nublado/despejado. = It’s cloudy/clear.
• Verb by itself: Llueve. Nieva. = It’s raining. It’s snowing.
• Near future: Va a llover. Va a nevar. = It’s going to rain/snow.

Examples you can reuse in small talk:

• Hoy hace buen tiempo. = The weather is nice today.
• En la montaña hace más frío. = In the mountains it’s colder.

Mañana frío.

Dicen que mañana va a .

Acciones ecológicas: what you can do

Here are high-frequency verbs for eco habits. Use the yo form for personal routines.

• reciclar = to recycle → Yo reciclo el plástico. = I recycle plastic.
• ahorrar = to save → Ahorramos agua en casa. = We save water at home.
• apagar = to turn off → Apago las luces. = I turn off the lights.
• separar = to sort → Separamos la basura. = We sort the trash.
• reutilizar = to reuse → Reutilizo bolsas. = I reuse bags.
• proteger / cuidar = to protect / to take care of → Cuidamos el parque. = We take care of the park.
• reducir = to reduce → Reducen el uso de plástico. = They reduce the use of plastic.

Useful pattern: Para + infinitive = in order to + verb

• Para ahorrar energía, apago el ordenador. = In order to save energy, I turn off the computer.

Cultural note: recycling in Spain (and beyond)

In many Spanish cities, you’ll see colored containers (contenedores):

• verde = vidrio (glass)
• azul = papel y cartón (paper and cardboard)
• amarillo = envases/plástico y latas (plastic packaging and cans)
• marrón = orgánica (food/organic waste) — common in bigger cities

Ask: ¿En qué contenedor va esto? = Which container does this go in?

Describing places in simple sentences

Use easy structures to describe landscapes. Keep it short and clear.

• El bosque es muy verde. = The forest is very green.
• La playa está limpia hoy. = The beach is clean today.
• Hay muchas flores en primavera. = There are many flowers in spring.
• El río es más largo que el arroyo. = The river is longer than the stream.
• Me gusta estar al aire libre. = I like to be outdoors.

En el hay muchos árboles.

Es sol hoy. → Hace sol hoy. Weather with nouns uses “hace.” La clima es buena. → El clima es bueno. Clima is masculine. Está lluvia ahora. → Llueve ahora. Use the verb llueve, not a noun with está.

Mini phrases for eco-talk

Use these ready-made lines:

• Cuidemos el medio ambiente. = Let’s take care of the environment.
• ¿Reciclas en casa? = Do you recycle at home?
• Prefiero botellas de vidrio. = I prefer glass bottles.
• Apaga la luz, por favor. = Turn off the light, please.
• Tomo duchas cortas para ahorrar agua. = I take short showers to save water.

Quick review

You learned:

• Places: el bosque, la montaña, el río, la playa, el desierto, la isla...
• Weather patterns: hace, hay, está, llueve/nieva, va a llover.
• Eco-actions: reciclar, ahorrar, apagar, separar, reutilizar, proteger.
• Useful phrases with para + infinitive and simple comparisons.

One last challenge: describe your favorite place with 2-3 sentences. For example:

• Mi lugar favorito es la montaña. Hace fresco y hay bosques. Camino con mis amigos. Now you: Write yours, and ¡bien hecho!