El Moralet Park in Benidorm has added nearly 2,500 new trees so far this year

Around 100 fifth- and sixth-graders from the Mestre Gaspar López and Ausiàs March schools took part in the 23rd annual Tree Day ceremony in Benidorm today. It took place in El Moralet Park. The City Council set up this project with help from the Departments of Education, Environment, and Parks and Gardens. About twenty students from the “Benidorm Natura i Esport” job programme also took part.

This year, El Moralet Park has already gotten around 2,500 new trees, including the ones that were planted this morning. Over 200 trees have been planted by the company Bertolín as part of an initiative to avoid fires and improve the area. Students from the employment workshop have also planted 150 trees. Also, as part of the TRAM track doubling project, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) has planted more than 2,000 trees.

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, the councillors for Education and Environment, Maite Moreno and Mónica Gómez, and other members of the corporation have all taken part in the day. The Environmental Unit of the Local Police, the rural guard of Environment, municipal technicians, and the companies that take care of parks and gardens (Actúa) and street cleaning (FCC) have also helped out.

Toni Pérez noted that the goal of this event is to “bring nature closer to younger generations so they not only know how to plant a tree, but also how to care for it and then enjoy it.” She also said, “The tree planted today is the tree that will give us shade tomorrow.” The mayor stressed the good side of “young people learning that a tree is life, a living thing that needs to be cared for all the time.”

Pupils planted over 300 natural plants, including poplar (Atriplex halimus), esparto grass (Lygeum spartum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis).

At the end of the action, they let set free a few little beetles called Cryptolaemus montruozieri. The mealybug, which lives on citrus trees, grapevines, and several ornamental plants, is their main food source. This bug eats mealybugs at all stages of its life cycle, making it a good natural way to control this problem.