Birds, bats and beasties gain a helping hand in this inland Malaga town
Learning in nature: pupils from Huerta Alta secondary school in Alhaurin de la Torre join in on a reforestation day in the Sierra Llana mountain range
Some 30 pupils from Huerta Alta secondary school headed up to the hills around Alhaurín de la Torre to participate in an environmental activity that has made it possible to plant 100 trees and shrubs in the Sierra Llana mountain range.
The initiative, promoted by Alhaurín council, coincided with celebrations to mark the United Nations' International Day of Forests and World Climate Day.
Participants were able to learn firsthand about the characteristics of native species and their role in maintaining the balance for local ecosystems, as well as the importance of this type of intervention for the regeneration and maintenance of natural spaces. Thanks to their contributions, carob trees, holm oaks, cork oaks, poplars, stone pines and native shrub species were planted.
As part of this initiative, two ponds were also built to increase biodiversity in the local environment, hopefully enabling the reproduction of amphibians as well as serving as drinking water for other fauna such as insects, reptiles and wild boar, thus preventing their migration to more populated areas within the municipality.
Nesting boxes for birds and bats, as well as insect hotels, are also planned.
Training and volunteering
This volunteer activity forms part of the programmes that Alhaurín's environment department, headed by councillor Abel Perea, organises throughout the school year for Alhaurín de la Torre's schools (primary and secondary) with the aim of promoting environmental education. In Sierra Llana, mayor Joaquín Villanova and the aforementioned councillor also took part in the day's activities with Huerta Alta's pupils.
At the beginning of the year, as an example of this type of initiative, a training course was organised for approximately 600 children from the Maruja Mallo school, focusing on the construction of these types of shelters using recycled materials.
Also recently, the Jarapalos mountain range, damaged by a wildfire on 15 July 2022, was the site of another initiative, made possible by the members of the alpine club that bears the site's name. This initiative resulted in the planting of 200 holm oaks, cork oaks and carob trees.
