The Biodiversity Foundation commemorates today the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, declared in 1994 by the United Nations to remember the adoption of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

Desertification is not a phenomenon alien to our borders. Large areas of the Spanish geography are intensely affected by this process and others are very fragile in the face of its advance. The combination of factors specific to the Mediterranean area, such as semi-arid climatic conditions, soil impoverishment, uneven relief, loss of forest masses, land abandonment, depletion and unsustainable exploitation of water resources and urban growth are drawing scenarios in the Peninsula where desertification takes centre stage.

In the International Year of Biodiversity, the Biodiversity Foundation has intensified its work in the fight against desertification by supporting initiatives that effectively contribute to curbing erosion and mitigating climate change. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the project “Trees, Land Stewardship and Volunteering”, which aims to reduce the effects of climate change and desertification by creating CO2 sinks in the form of forests. The involvement of citizens in nature conservation is also promoted through the development, among other actions, of volunteer initiatives to increase biodiversity and protect natural heritage.

Within the framework of the Land Stewardship Platform (PCT), the Biodiversity Foundation seeks to become a meeting place for all non-profit land stewardship networks and entities that carry out their activity in Spain, providing them with support and encouraging them to continue using land stewardship as a tool for nature conservation. the landscape and cultural heritage on farms, through voluntary agreements with the owners, public and private, of the land.

Through this Program, it is expected to plant tree or shrub species, preferably leafy, native and certified, in Andalusia, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Galicia, Madrid, the Basque Country and Murcia, until reaching about 45,000 trees in a total of 400 hectares and with the help of about 2,000 volunteers.

Precisely, on a special day like today, the Biodiversity Foundation wants to recognize and highlight the actions proposed by different stewardship entities that in our country are already working, tirelessly, to stop erosion:

• Grup de Naturalistes d’Osona. Ecological restoration for the promotion of fauna in the private estates Niubó and Diumeres. The scope of action is centred on Manlleu, in the province of Barcelona, and covers a total of 3 hectares occupied by abandoned crop fields and exotic gardening species. A total of 615 specimens of holm oak, oak, apple, walnut, fig tree, etc., will be planted with the help of between 80 and 100 volunteers.

• Graellsia. Planting of riverside vegetation and elimination of invasive exotic species on a private property bordering Els Tolls del Barranc de Sant Antoni, located in Tortosa and Roquetes, in the province of Tarragona. The selected species are: poplar (Populus alba), fig tree (Ficus carica), oleander (Nerium oleander) and willow (Salix sp).

• Museu Industrial del Ter. Ecological restoration of the Gelabert meander, within the framework of the “Riberes del Ter” river stewardship project, consisting of the development of a management plan with land stewardship actions on land adjacent to the River Ter, in which three municipalities are involved: Torelló, Les Masies de Voltregà and Manlleu-Osona, Catalonia. Between 100-150 volunteers are expected to participate in planting more than 2,000 trees.

• El Cerezo Hiking Club. Increase of biodiversity in the trails of the Sierra de Gádor (Almeria) included in territories with stewardship agreements, which are part of the project of Recovery and maintenance of trails of this mountain range with the help of 50 volunteers along 24 km.

• Global Nature Foundation. Forest restoration in the surroundings of the steppe lagoons of the Palencia region of Tierras de Campos. The proposal is included in the project for the restoration of wetlands in the Duero Basin, located in these cereal regions. The entity will carry out linear reforestation of the riverbeds and roadsides in the surroundings of the three steppe wetlands, in addition to punctual reforestation in the form of copses around the wetlands. The entity also plans to plant 1,300 cuttings and 4,350 seedlings.

• International Foundation for Ecosystem Restoration (FIRE). Revegetation with more than 2,000 native species in 7 hectares. of agricultural margins and boundaries and creation of island forests in an organic olive grove located in San Carlos del Valle and Valdepeñas, in Ciudad Real, Campo de Montiel. It is included in the “Islets and Coasts in Agricultural Seas” initiative.

• Urdaibai Foundation. Actions for the conservation and restoration of native forests. The entity will carry out popular volunteering days for the planting of 1,600 species in the basin of the Amunategi stream, located in the municipality of Busturia, Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.

• La Sinia Environmental Association. Recovery of the riparian forest on a private estate with a custody agreement, in the fluvial area of the lower course of the Gaià river. The action is included in a land stewardship programme for the lower Gaià territory. About 400 trees and shrubs are planned to be planted, with the participation of between 100 and 150 volunteers.

• L’Ametlla del Valles City Council. Planting of 240 riverside trees, in 4 days with 150 primary school children. The actions are part of the project “Restoration and environmental improvement of municipal torrents”, in l’Ametlla del Valles on land owned by the City Council.
• Association of Naturalists of the Southeast (ANSE). Land stewardship for the recovery of habitats of Ibero-African community interest, with the planting of a total of 3,250 species and the help of 300 volunteers. The actions proposed by ANSE are part of the Araar Project, in the Region of Murcia.

• Monte Mediterráneo Foundation. The entity has a farm in Santa Olalla del Cala (Huelva) of more than 500 hectares. in which, through the participation of volunteers in 5 days, they intend to regenerate an area of scrubland.

• Esmelle Valley Neighbourhood Association (JardinArte). Recovery of native species. The action proposed by this association is included in the Esmelle Project in the municipality of Ferrol, Galicia. The entity will plant a total of 300 trees with the help of 150 volunteers.

• SEO/BirdLife. Reforestation of native trees in the surroundings of Morero. The entity intends to carry out actions in the municipality of Astillero, in collaboration with the City Council, framed in the project “Restoration of degraded areas of the Municipality of Astillero”. The objectives of this project are focused on eliminating exotic vegetation (Cortaderia selloana) and promoting forest recovery, with the participation of 300 schoolchildren.

• Federation of Knowing and Protecting Nature. The entity has proposed three actions that will be carried out through different entities. These are: carrying out reforestation work in La Pedriza, Regional Park of the Upper Manzanares Basin, through Reforesta; carrying out reforestation work in the Southeast Regional Park (Madrid), through Alerce, and carrying out reforestation work in areas of the banks of the Júcar (Cuenca), through Ecologistas en Acción.

• Association for the Defense and Study of Nature (ADENC). Restoration of the river ecosystem of the Ripoll River. The action is included in the “Fes Reviure el Ripoll” project in Sabadell, which is being carried out in the Public Hydraulic Domain of this river, along 500 linear meters. The entity plans to recover natural river vegetation with the planting of 18,000 tree and shrub species and to carry out dissemination and awareness-raising tasks with the participation of 150 volunteers.

• Emys Foundation. Restoration and management plan for the La Camparra, Espai Esplet, Finca de Can Calcada and RiuRoig torrents. This action is included in the project “Consolidation and promotion of stewardship in the plain of La Selva, Girona”.

• Association-The crankshaft. Recovery of the native forest in the Cebal river basin. The entity proposes an action that is included in the project “Protection and recovery of the environmental and cultural values of the Cebal River Bank. The towns where they will be held are Grisuela and Rabanales in the province of Zamora. The affected area is 2 hectares. of public ownership.

• MSC-Scout of Madrid. The entity carries out environmental awareness actions throughout the Spanish territory. The volunteer activity, carried out with families, focuses on the improvement of biodiversity on a private estate within an emblematic pine forest traditionally used for grapes, in Cadalso de los Vidrios, in the Sierra Oeste de Madrid.

• +O2 Foundation. Reforestation of the Cala Murta Estate, Pollença in Mallorca. The entity’s proposal is made within the framework of the lines of action of the plan of uses and management of the Cala Murta Estate. The participation of 100 volunteers is expected.