The dunes of Maspalomas are strengthened with 60.000 cubic meters of sand and the planting of 583 balconies

 

The Cabildo of Gran Canarias has revitalized the Special Natural Reserve of the Maspalomas Dunes with the contribution of 60.000 cubic meters of sand to the environment, the planting of 583 balancones and the elimination of 760 cubic meters of exotic invasive flora, among other actions, through its Masdunas project, whose objective is to restore and improve the state of conservation of the habitats present in the area and in which the Corporation has already invested close to two million euros since 2018.

 

In fact, for these purposes, tasks continue to be implemented aimed at preventing the disappearance of the field of mobile dunes, conserving environmental values ​​and attracting conscious tourism, activities aimed at achieving the goals defined in the Canary Islands 2030 Agenda to achieve compliance. of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

 

These results were presented yesterday on the first day of the III Conference of the Masdunas Project, which culminates tomorrow, Thursday, at the Sociocultural Center for the Elderly of San Fernando de Maspalomas, promoted by the Island Corporation in collaboration with the City Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Gesplan . On the occasion of this event, the president of the Cabildo, Antonio Morales, accompanied by the Minister of the Environment, Inés Jiménez, and the mayor of the southern municipality, Conchi Narváez, visited enclaves of the Reserve where renaturalization work on the dune is being carried out. coastal, in Playa del Inglés.

 

During the tour, Antonio Morales highlighted this project, “which is a proposal from the Cabildo to recover, rehabilitate and enhance the area, and prevent deterioration from putting this extraordinary space at risk, which is an icon of Gran Canaria and a reserve. nature of significant global value.” The president added that, in addition to the contribution of sand and the planting of balancones, which are the main species that create dunes, "sand retention areas and nurseries have been generated to regenerate the flora of the place."

 

Likewise, Masdunas has eliminated 760 cubic meters of invasive exotic flora, has captured more than 250.000 individuals of Mozambique tilapia, has controlled introduced predators, such as feral cats, hedgehogs and rats, and has increased the surface area of ​​scientific monitoring plots since the 15.951 to 28.738 square meters. 

 

 

In view of these results, the island president highlighted the success that is being achieved by the transversal work carried out by different areas of the Cabildo, led by the Ministry of the Environment directed by Inés Jiménez, in collaboration with other administrations such as the San Bartolomé City Council. Tirajana and the General Directorate of Coasts, which will be part of the initiative to reinforce the isolation of protected areas, by increasing fencing.

 

In this regard, President Morales highlighted the constant surveillance work carried out by Environmental agents in the Reserve. “We have incorporated surveillance that had never been implemented,” he stated. “And new agents will join, but there are 400 hectares and, if the space is not respected or there is collaboration from citizens, it is very difficult to control,” he lamented.

 

Thus, to complement this surveillance action, the president considered it necessary to open new spaces for collaboration, so he announced that he will meet with business organizations to request more cooperation. “There is enormous business sensitivity in advancing renewables and recycling,” he stressed. “And all of this is very important, because tourists are increasingly demanding respect for the natural environment. That is why we are going to insist that they have all the information in their hotel room and that they know that they are going to be in a place with extraordinary value,” he emphasized. 

 

The mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana agreed on the need for this cooperation, “because if the information does not arrive, all this work will not have the results we want. It is essential that each tourist complex provides this information, because, although it is a protected area, you can travel through the dunes,” she stressed. "We have evolved and, if before the promotion was to jump and roll like a kibble through the dunes, now it is to travel through the right places."

 

 

 

Conchi Narváez welcomed the coordination between the administrations to carry out and maintain this initiative, “because we are all part of this jewel and we must work together to guarantee the protection of such an important space for Gran Canaria, which is an icon for the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana”, he concluded.

 

Finally, Marta Martínez Pérez, technical biologist of the Natural Reserve and member of the Masdunas project, explained that the work is being carried out in six priority habitats that are being conserved, along with different species in danger of extinction. In detail, action is being taken in 1.150 coastal lagoons, 2.110 mobile dunes with embryonic vegetation, 2.130 fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation, 6.420 humid Mediterranean meadows with tall grasses, 9.200 galleries and thermo-Mediterranean riverine scrubs and 9.370 palm groves of the 'phoenix' species.

 

“These are flora and fauna that generate particular ecosystems that are essential for migratory birds to nest and breed, and if we conserve the habitat, the species is conserved,” he stated, finally pointing out that Madunas will maintain the same lines of action, in order to continue protecting the area and advancing the message that “we must all change and do our part.”

 

It should be noted that, as a result of these interventions, there has already been an increase in sand in the front of the primary dunes, deflation zones have increased inside the dune field and clear planting guidelines have been established. adapted to environmental conditions and improvement in the production of balancones by cuttings and natural regeneration.

 

Specialists who share experiences and create synergies

Antonio Morales also emphasized in his intervention the need to create meeting spaces such as the III Masdunas Project Conference, “so that specialists from all over the world meet here every year to discuss the synergies that may occur for these spaces,” he predicted. In fact, in these sessions there is the participation of technicians from the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Gesplan, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Valencia City Council, the University of the Algarve, in Portugal and the Life+Dunas Project from Madeira.

 

The first session of this event took place yesterday, it was in person and, in addition to the visit to the project's areas of action, the actions carried out and the results obtained were announced.

 

The second session will be held tomorrow, Thursday, it will be 'online' and will be aimed at technical personnel, in order to exchange experiences in the recovery of coastal dune systems, public use and climate change, which will allow identifying successes, barriers and solutions in the implementation of dune restoration programs. The interventions can be followed live through the YouTube channel of the Masdunas project, website www.masdunas.es.