Alien Invasion!!

Alien Invasion!

People living on the perimeter of the Natural Park of La-Mata-Torrevieja may have noticed in the last few weeks, a team of Natural Park workers pulling up plants and cutting down trees within the park and on its perimeter.

This is all part of a campaign now in full swing to rid the Park of foreign invasive plants, since the government of Valencia decreed in 2007 that only native vegetation should be present in the parks of Valencia Province.

Those householders who live on the edges of the Park have done their best in their way to brighten up their environment by ‘snatching’ extra bits of garden outside of their own property but unfortunately many of the plants they planted are not at all suitable because they have spread – in some cases like wildfire – into the Park to the detriment of native plants. Some of these, familiar to us all, are Prickly Pear, Aloe Yucca, Octopus Plant, Cat’s Claw (which some of us know as Mile a Minute, for obvious reasons), Acacia and worst of all, Spanish flag which has lots of pretty orange-red flowers.

All of these grow unchecked and choke the indigenous species and eventually take over. Worst of all many of these plants encourage mosquitoes – hence the problems around the salt lakes, which in themselves do not offer a friendly environment to the mosquitoes since the native plants which grow on the saline territory have no attraction for them. Where the alien plants thrive – so do the mosquitoes.

The campaign in the Park is to rid the areas within it and on its perimeter of these invasive plants. Information about the campaign will be given to those who live in Torreta 3 and El Chaparral in particular, and informative talks are to be given to the Presidents and neighbours of these areas.

The Park staff will be helped by groups of the Asociación of Volunteers of la Mata-Torrevieja, an international group, who help on a day to day basis with tasks in the Park. This campaign is ongoing and it will take many years to achieve the eradication of all the ‘bad’ plants. In their place native plants will be planted and the householders will be given alternative ‘good’ plants to replace those which are to be removed from the perimeter gardens.

Looking much further into the future if people are found tipping garden rubbish containing unsuitable plant refuse, or planting unsuitable plants, fines will be issued.
By Jenny Dodd

Link to Libros International website

For great books by local and international authors visit
http://www.librosinternational.com/index.php

next meeting

As well as our talk with slides tomorrow given by Ray Marsh (our meeting room 10.00 am), we have our regular monthly meeting at 10.00 next Thursday. We have a visitor - Gina from Torrevieja Clinica Central, who's coming to tell us about the new District Nurses scheme, which should be of interest and benefit to many of us. Look forward to seeing you
M

Camping with Wolves

Look out for a great new book by our very own ex-member Heinke Pauly (Woodbridge). It'll be on Amazon soon. It's called 'Camping with Wolves' and recounts Heinke's camping trip through Spain following in the steps of Laurie Lee. It's great fun and easy reading (even has a dog narrator in parts!) If you can't wait for it on Amazon let me know ad I'll pre-order it for you from Heinke - she lives in the bulding next door! :)