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The early arrival of spring has already brought some wild orchids into bloom. As they reappear, these plants attract pollinators with visual and olfactory cues, offering a characteristic lower petal as a landing platform.

Sometimes, the shape of the flower guides the visitor toward its center, where nectar awaits. When the tiny creature dips its head into the sweet cup, the orchid cleverly attaches pollen-laden stamens to it—sending the unsuspecting traveler off with a new pair of “antennae” that will carry the miraculous dust to another flower.

Other times, the receptive area of the orchid mimics the appearance and scent of a female insect. Deceived by this clever trick—akin to a well-crafted advertisement—the eager males land on the flower and pick up pollen, unaware that their instincts have been manipulated for a very different purpose.

Orchids coexisted with dinosaurs. But while the mighty reptiles were wiped out by evolutionary upheavals, these small yet resourceful plants thrived by perfecting their survival strategies. The void left by the prehistoric giants was soon occupied by creatures that had previously gone unnoticed—including mammals.

Erasing is an often-overlooked verb, yet it holds great potential. Children learn to erase their mistakes to make way for the correct letters. The northern wind erases footprints from the beach, leaving behind pristine landscapes.

In Menorca, we erased illegal parking lots on the sand at Sa Mesquida and Binimel·là, allowing the dunes to recover. We erased urbanization projects at Trebalúger and Ets Alocs. We erased the invasion of Carpobrotus that was suffocating Favàritx. And we erased illegal buildings along the coastline of s’Albufera des Grau and an unlawful parking lot at Cala en Turqueta.

In writing, erasing redundant words refines and clarifies a message. In nature, removing harmful human interventions can restore dignity to a landscape.

Erasing the top ten floors of the Son Bou hotels would be a scenic triumph—a real gesture amidst all the empty talk of sustainability. Reducing the dominance of short-term tourist rentals in traditional villages would help curb over-tourism and return homes to their intended function.

Eliminating large-scale irrigation schemes that operate under the scorching summer sun and outlawing green lawns in tourist resorts—an absurdity in the Menorcan context—would be the most effective water management plan we could implement.

Slashing excessive public spending on tourism promotion and recognizing that the nautical sector cannot be scaled up to meet every demand would be a major step forward for the future of this island and its inhabitants.

Sketching growth plans that exceed the planet’s limits is like writing outside the margins—it is something that must be erased for the common good. Orchids won the battle for survival against the dinosaurs. Perhaps we, too, should rethink what needs to be erased in order to thrive.