Bonelli's eagles visit

Sunday 14 November 2010

Title: Project Alien InvAsion: we have to stop it!

Group: ASOCIACIóN RUTAS Y CAMINOS DE LA SAL Y PARQUE NATURAL DE LAS LAGUNAS DE LA MATA Y TORREVIEJA

(http://www.lamataparkvolunteersblogspot.com/)

The Asociación Rutas y Caminos de la Sal is a group of people of different European nationalities, which since its inception has “had as its objective the promotion, diffusion, protection, and conservation of the natural environment of the Natural Park of the Lakes of La Mata and Torrevieja”. (Art.3 Statutes of the Asociación Rutas y Caminos de la Sal)

Since 2004 the volunteers of this association have actively collaborated with the staff of the Natural Park of the Lakes of La Mata and Torrevieja in various tasks such as giving information to visitors, collating catalogues of fauna and flora in various languages, detection of incidences in the areas allocated to public use, or collecting rubbish, amongst many other things.

However it was in 2009 that this environmental volunteer group committed itself to confronting the problems arising from the introduction and expansion of exotic invasive vegetation (VEI) in this Protected Natural Area.(ENP). The project of “Alien Invasion” was launched.

The above project is based mainly in noting not only the causes but also the consequences of the introduction of this type of species into the Park. With this in mind the project is based on two major and indivisible concepts: alerting the local population to and control of the exotic invasive species of vegetation.

To achieve this the staff of the Protected Natural Area (ENP) train the volunteers and plan the work schedule, organising this in four work groups: Communication, Elimination, Posters and Detection and Control.

Since December 2009 until now the volunteers have taken part in 12 activities, which have eliminated some 77 cubic metres of invasive species such as Carpobrotus sp, Yucca alaifolia, Opuntia subulata and Aptenia sp, among others. These actions have resulted in the recuperation of an area of 1650 square metres.

Sunday 7 November 2010

Valencia

Photos of Valencia courtesy of Treasurer Geoff Hobbs

Tuesday 2 November 2010

A group of the Volunteers of La Mata (Asociación de las Rutas y Caminos de la Sal) recently had the opportunity to be taken to Valencia to see an exhibition, which included a huge poster showing the work the Volunteers have done over recent months in the Natural Park of La Mata-Torrevieja.
The group first visited the Research Centre where plants are propagated. A huge tent was full of bigger plants and trees, which had been grown according to the natural conditions in which they live and are being observed for any problems. The procedure for this was explained to us.
We were delighted in the next tent to see small plants, which had been propagated, either from cuttings or from seed, which had been taken from plants at La Mata. These little plants will then come back to La Mata next spring to be used in the re-planting programme in which the Volunteers will once again be involved.
In the laboratories we saw how seeds are taken, dried at different temperatures and investigated for possible germination. We were amazed to find that even a tiny seed has a character all of its own and that some will germinate but not all.
In the dry river bed in Valencia the Exhibition Hall had a number of large posters showing the environmental work which is being done all over Valencia province. This was most interesting as there are many facets of this – restoration of environment, breeding birds, rescuing tortoises and so on. And there we were in several large photos, pulling cat’s claw from areas of the Natural Park! All our back breaking hard work recorded for posterity! It is a good feeling to know that we are taking part in a larger project and doing our best to help safeguard the environment.