Tucked within the Canary Islands resides the ecological marvel, La Palma. Due to its wide variance in altitude, the island’s ecosystem is representative of the entire Macaronesian region, which encompasses the Archipelagos of the Canaries, Madeira, and Azores. Barren rock formations meet with tropical rainforests; an abundant array of vegetation—Laurel trees, coastal Euphorbia, Canary Pine, and Adenocarpus viscosus—share space. So, it is fitting that UNESCO declared La Palma a biosphere reserve in 2002, adding it to a list of over 701 sites for “understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems, including conflict prevention and management of biodiversity.” In addition to banana planting, animal husbandry, beekeeping, and fishing, the island is currently developing agro-tourism as a sustainable source of industry.

Lola Paprocka and Pani Paul, of the London based photography duo Lola & Pani, set out to document the unique landscape and practices of La Palma last December, capturing a rare setting in which nature and machinery coexist peacefully. In fact, their photographs enmesh the two together, rendering the ecological equipment as an intuitive extension of the ecosystem. “Spending time on an island that’s so dedicated to preserving as much of its natural landscapes as possible was super inspiring for us. It’s always healthy to refresh your mindset and realize that we can all be doing much more in our everyday lives to lessen our personal impact on the planet.”