Proyecto ArcosLife

Etiqueta: NACAR

  • Controlling ice plant on the Helgueras beach (Noja, Cantabria) within the NACAR programme and volunteering

    Controlling ice plant on the Helgueras beach (Noja, Cantabria) within the NACAR programme and volunteering

    Controlling ice plant on the Helgueras beach (Noja)

    NACAR Programme (Nature and Prison) and volunteering within the LIFE ARCOS Project

    On 21st November, a new volunteering day was held in association with the NACAR Programme (Nature and Prison) to eliminate invasive flora within the activities of the LIFE ARCOS Project, coordinated in Cantabria by the Directorate General of the Environment of the Government of Cantabria Natural Environmental, Fisheries and Food Department.

    Work was carried out on the Helgueras beach dunes (Noja) with the participation of inmates and workers from the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre, support from the Cantabrian Rural Development Network team, technical staff from the Government of Cantabria Directorate General of the Environment, and logistical support from the Noja Council.

    Before starting, participants took a short walk from the Berria beach (Santoña), across the El Brusco mountain towards the Helgueras beach. This route was the ideal introduction to the day, revealing how dune systems work and how important they are, giving participants a first-hand insight into the dune restoration actions carried out on the Berria and Helgueras beaches within the LIFE ARCOS Project, some performed in collaboration with the NACAR programme.

     

    Introduction to the day on the Berria beach

    The main part of the activity consisted in eliminating various patches of ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis) found on the Helgueras dune system, a demanding job given that it is a particularly complex species to remove. In just a few hours of work, around 1500 kg of ice plant were removed, taken off the beach by teams from the Noja Council to be managed by the Cantabrian Rural Development Network.

    The team removing ice plant from the Helgueras beach (Noja)

    Despite their work mainly focusing on the ice plant, both during the route between the beaches and throughout their activities, participants also collected a large amount of non-biodegradable waste, mainly plastics.

    Work group with some of the bags of extracted ice plant

    Once again, we greatly appreciate the collaboration of all those involved in the NACAR programme for their work within the LIFE ARCOS European Project, which has already been the architect of numerous activities to support the conservation of Protected Natural Spaces. We should keep in mind that these activities are undertaken on the Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park dune systems, also protected as Special Conservation Areas; SCA Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes; Special Protection Areas for Birds; SPAB Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes; and Ajo Estuary and the Santoña Marshes Wetlands of International Importance.

    During the activity, participants were visited by representatives from the Noja Council environment department, who via the Councillor for the Environment, Health and Spatial Planning, and the Environmental Officer, wished to thank participants for the work undertaken in the pursuit of conserving the dune system.

    Finally, and with the hope that this programme may continue, the Directorate General of the Environment thanked the people and bodies that participated in the activity for their collaboration and the chance to keep working and learning together.

  • Chronicle #1: Celebrating Natura 2000 day. Removing capeweed plants from Berria (Santoña)

    Chronicle #1: Celebrating Natura 2000 day. Removing capeweed plants from Berria (Santoña)

    Volunteering for the NACAR (Nature and Prison) program in the LIFE ARCOS project

    We celebrated European Natura 2000 Network day on 17 May 2018, with a new volunteer event with the Nature and Prison program (NACAR) in coordination with the LIFE ARCOS Project from the Directorate-General of Natural Environment of the Regional Ministry of Rural Affairs, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Cantabria.

    The activity started at the tertiary dune of Berria beach’s dune system.

    Natural park director, Lourdes González, briefly introduced the LIFE ARCOS project, the NATURA 2000 NETWORK, the importance of dune ecosystems and how they protect themselves from winter storms, the distribution of dune species in areas and how they are affected by invasive exotic species.  The LIFE ARCOS sign at Berria beached was used to answer attendees’ questions.

    Beginning of the NACAR volunteer activity at Berria beach

    The team got to work after listening to an explanation on how to recognize the cape weeds and how to extract it.  The invasive exotic species was everywhere around the boardwalk parallel to the beach. Volunteers focused on this area.

    They collected around 130 kg of cape weeds (Arctotheca calendula) and 1 kg of non-biodegradable garbage.  The participants learned to distinguish the characteristics of the cape weeds among other well-preserved and blooming dune plant species such as the sea potato, sea beet, Virginia stock, sea daffodil, bindweed, houseleeks, petty spurge, etc.

    During break and in the work area, we explained why the dunes were closed by the LIFE ARCOS project. José Luís Tejerina from Demarcation of Coasts in Cantabria visited the site and assessed the work being done.

    Extraction of cape weeds from the Berria dunes

    Finally, the Cantabrian Network for Rural Development collected all the plants and garbage.

    The participants received a commemorative LIFE ARCOS t-shirt.

    The Directorate-General of Natural Environment thanked NACAR for participating to conserve and restore the dunes of Cantabria’s beaches.

    NACAR team on Berria beach (Santoña)
  • Removing ice plant, an invasive species, from Playa de Helgueras (Noja, Cantabria)

    Removing ice plant, an invasive species, from Playa de Helgueras (Noja, Cantabria)

    Volunteering for the NACAR (Nature and Prison) programme in the LIFE ARCOS project

    A new NACAR (Nature and Prison) programme volunteer event took place on 19 April 2018, in coordination with the LIFE ARCOS project from the Directorate-General of Natural Environment of the Regional Ministry of the Rural Affairs, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Cantabria. The goal of the event was to remove invasive flora.

    Collaboration between the NACAR programme and the European LIFE ARCOS programme has brought about various activities, mainly in the dune systems of the Natural Park Marshes of Santoña, Victoria and Joyel (which are also protected as a Special Area of Conservation), SAC Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes (Special Protection Area for Birds), SPAB Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes, Ajo Estuary, and Marshes of Santoña (Wetlands of International Importance).

    This time, we worked on the Helgueras beach (Noja) dunes with the participation of inmates and civil servants from the El Dueso Penitentiary. We also had the support of the Cantabrian Network for Rural Development team (and two foreign students interns) and technical personnel of the Directorate-General of Natural Environment of the Government of Cantabria. The Council of Noja provided logistical support.

    The day started with a brief introduction at Berria beach (Santoña), where we explained the importance of dune systems. From there, we made our way towards Noja. On the way, we walked through the El Brusco hill. From different viewpoints, we explained the positive impact the LIFE ARCOS dune restoration project has had on Berria beach over the last few years (some of which was with the NACAR project). Likewise, when passing through the Cantabrian oak-tree forest, we talked about some of its characteristics and referenced the positive effect El Dueso Penitentiary inmates’ work has had there.

    Walk from Berria beach to El Brusco (Santoña)

    Once we passed El Brusco and reached Helgueras (Noja) beach, we started the main activity of the day: extracting ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis). After a few hours of meticulous work—keeping in mind the importance of extracting every single remain of the extracted plants to prevent their return—we eradicated approximately 1,100 kg of ice plant. The Council of Noja team helped us load and dispose of the ice plant at the Cantabrian Network for Rural Development collection point.

    The team extracting ice plant at Helgueras beach (Noja)

    We also collected various bags full of non-biodegradable garbage and planted sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) seeds to control the resurgence of ice plant collected.  We expect this effort to reinforce the natural colonization of dune species in the area, which should be rich in Honckenya peploides community species, but is increasingly scarce on the Cantabrian coast.

    Honckenya peploides community on Helgueras beach (Noja)

    We hope that this programme continues to grow and move forward. We would like to thank the Directorate-General of Natural Environment and everyone who worked on this opportunity to continue working and learning together.

    Work team at Helgueras beach (Noja)
  • The citizen science project «International cleanup of beaches» finds synergies with Life+ARCOS objectives with the aim of the project NACAR

    The citizen science project «International cleanup of beaches» finds synergies with Life+ARCOS objectives with the aim of the project NACAR

    On 17th November, a new day of volunteering was held, within the framework of the LIFE ARCOS Project for dune restoration and conservation, this time with a new and different approach.

    The project formed part of the NACAR Programme (Nature and Prison), in which inmates from the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre in Santoña are collaborating with the LIFE ARCOS Project on numerous occasions, mainly in the task of removing invasive exotic species, and producing and planting native flora in the dune system in the beaches near the penitentiary centre (Berria beach in Santoña and Helgueras beach in Noja).

    The director of the Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park expressed the importance and value of the dune systems and their habitats; this was followed by a presentation given by members from the Asociación Ambiente Europeo (European environment association) (http://ambienteeuropeo.org/) about the citizen science project “International Coastal Cleanup”, its objectives as well as the deeply concerning issue of plastic waste in the world’s seas and oceans. The Berria beach and dune system (Santoña) were the setting for the first activity of this kind in Cantabria, with man-made waste collected using the Ocean Conservancy methodology employed on an international level in over 100 countries and territories.

    Removing waste

    The painstaking work proposed by this methodology consists in detailing the amount of different types of waste found in the study area so as to discover the nature of it, as well as the surprising ordinariness of much of it, to raise awareness among the public and bring about a change in our everyday lifestyle habits. During the morning, waste collection was carried out (some 14.5 kg) on both the 250 m stretch of the dune system, and then along the tide line where the majority of non-biodegradable waste is concentrated, brought in by the tide.

    Along the route followed to collect the waste, some cuttings of crossworts (Crucianella maritima) and seeds from other local dune flora species such as toadflax (linaria) and sea thrift (Armeria maritima) were moved for reproduction in the El Dueso nursery (Gardening Workshop), to be later replanted back on the dunes on nearby beaches.

    Finally, the slips filled out during the waste collection were pooled to verify their characteristics first hand, once again highlighting the great importance that simple actions in our everyday lives can have on marine ecosystems, such as avoiding buying products that have excessive plastic packaging, or choosing not to have fresh foods wrapped in plastic.

    The Directorate General of the Environment from the Government of Cantabria was extremely grateful to the collaborating entities for their involvement in these kinds of tasks, which highlight just how far small gestures go towards producing major results, and that underscore the need for a change in social awareness, particularly in terms of the waste produced by each and every one of us.

  • LIFE ARCOS project commemorates the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network with volunteer activities in Cantabria

    LIFE ARCOS project commemorates the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network with volunteer activities in Cantabria

    Activity within the LIFE Arcos (2014-18) project is continuing in Cantabria, with volunteering work in collaboration with different entities from the Autonomous Community.

    The Helgueras and Trengandín dune systems have been the focus of the activity over the past two days of work, which have contributed towards recovering the natural dynamic of these systems by mechanically eliminating different species of invasive exotic flora.

    The first of these days took place on 12th May, with the collaboration of a group of inmates from the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre. Within the NACAR (Nature and Prison) Programme, this group has undertaken outstanding work in restoring the dune by eliminating invasive species, reproducing and planting local species, removing waste, etc.

    On this occasion the tasks focused on eliminating ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis) from the dunes on the Helgueras beach. Prior to the work, as on previous occasions, the Director of the Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes Natural Park gave a quick explanation to the participants about the dune dynamic and the problems that invasive species cause on these ecosystems. After this brief introduction and a practical demonstration of how to correctly treat and eliminate the species in question to ensure that the work is effective, the work began, resulting in the removal of some 1,600 kg  of ice plant from a surface area of around 120 m2. The group performed a 3 km hike from the Berria beach in the town of Santoña to reach the work zone, located on the Helgueras beach in Noja.

     

    Volunteering Group from the NACAR Programme

    The action was supported by the Noja Council, firstly represented by the Mayor and the Environmental Technician who made a follow-up visit, alongside civil servants from El Dueso Penitentiary Centre, followed by workers from the Council, who helped transport the plant waste extracted during the morning on the most inaccessible part of Helgueras beach.

    NACAR Programme group and the ice plant removal activity

    Members of the work team that had already participated in the NACAR Programme on previous occasions were given LIFE ARCOS t-shirts, which were enthusiastically received.

    NACAR Programme group and the ice plant removal activity

    The second work day took place on 17th May, coinciding to commemorate the European Natura 2000 Day. The activity was carried out with the collaboration of the AMICA and AMPROS associations, and the SERCA Special Employment Centre, which as on previous occasions, collaborated actively with the LIFE Arcos project, splitting into three action groups. 

    AMICA volunteering team

    The location chosen for these tasks was the Trengandín beach dune system, which despite being a clear example of the consolidation of the ecosystems of this nature, also presents a significant amount of invasive exotic species.

    At the start of the day, various regional and town authorities attended to greet participants in person. The Councillor from the Natural Environment, Fisheries and Food Department , the Directorate General of the Environment, the Head of the Government of Cantabria Conservation Service and the Noja Council Mayor, with environmental experts and council members.

    After the formal greeting, participants were given an introductory explanation about how the dune systems work, the invasive plants and how to eliminate them, and the targets of the LIFE ARCOS Project, in this case focusing specifically on the invasive exotic species, evening primrose (Oenothera glazioviana).

    Volunteering group with the Councillor from the Natural Environment, Fisheries and Food Department
    Evening primrose present in the dune system (Oenothera glazioviana).

    Once the guidelines and aim of the activity were established, the work areas were marked out and the task began, which continued until the rain brought the activity to a close. By this point the group had already removed the evening primrose from a considerable stretch of dune (200 kg and 2 kg of waste) over an area covering around 10,000m2. To end the activity, participants from AMICA, SERCA and AMPROS were all given a LIFE ARCOS logo pendant, which is one of the ceramic pieces that has been made in their Workshops at the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre, as well as pen holders and flower pots. 

    LIFE ARCOS ceramic works produced in the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre Workshop

    During the task of removing the evening primrose, another exotic plant was detected and also removed: Agave americana. It had numerous shoots growing next to the dune vegetation, which would potentially have grown very large.

    Removed specimen of invasive species, Agave Americana

     

    The work performed on both days was supported by staff from the  Cantabrian Rural Development Network team, whose collaboration in removing and managing the plant waste obtained was paramount.

    These kinds of actions represent a major advance in terms of controlling invasive species, and show that adding up small actions can create a big result, which is why it falls to the Government of Cantabria Directorate General of the Environment to thank the collaborating entities for their involvement, without which these tasks would have been impossible.

  • Oria visits Berria (Santoña, Cantabria) to be informed about the progress of the restoration activities developed on this site

    Oria visits Berria (Santoña, Cantabria) to be informed about the progress of the restoration activities developed on this site

    Councillor Oria during the visit

     

    Information published by the press cabinet of the Government of Cantabria
    “Oria visits the Berria dune system to see the restoration activities being carried out”

    Date of press publication:20/03/2016

    Go to the publication link

  • Dune restoration by removing invasive plants and waste and by collecting seeds on the Berria beach (SCI Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes)

    Dune restoration by removing invasive plants and waste and by collecting seeds on the Berria beach (SCI Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes)

    Once again, the Directorate General of the Environment (Rural Affairs, Fisheries and Food Department of the Government of Cantabria) with the collaboration of inmates from the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre as part of the NACAR Programme (Nature and Prison), carried out a volunteering activity encompassed within the LIFE+ ARCOS programme on the Berria beach dune system (municipality of Santoña).

    Voluntariado del Programa NACAR, al fondo Centro Penitenciario El Dueso
    Volunteers from the NACAR Programme, in the background the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre

    The activity carried out on 20th November 2015 led by an Expert from the Nature Conservation Service and a Forestry Expert from the same Service, focused on restoring the dune systems along the Cantabrian coast.

    The day began with an introduction to the Natural Protected Space, in which participants were given an explanation of the dynamic of the dune systems, the importance of preserving native plant life in these ecosystems, and the significance of fighting against invasive species

    Limpiezaresiduos, 20.11.15
    An instant taken on the route followed for the waste clean-up.

    Next, participants walked along the front of the existing dune system on Berria beach collecting rubbish, filling a 120-litre bin bag. During the walk along the dune front, numerous sea daffodil bulbs (Pancratium maritimum) were collected, which were found displaced, and inside the dune system seeds were collected from the same species, from carnations (Dianthus hyssopifolius), toadflax (Linaria supina subsp. maritima) and crosswort cuttings (Crucianella maritima) to be moved (bulbs, seeds and cuttings) to the nursery Gardening Workshop at the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre, where they will be nurtured in view of future activities within the NACAR Programme.

    Retirada Yucas, 20.11.15
    Photo of the team of participants in the activity day

    The major part of the day’s activity focused on removing the invasive Adam’s needle plant (Yucca gloriosa) manually using spades and trowels, resulting in the removal of six 120-litre bags full. In 2010, the Berria beach dune system had numerous adult flowering Yucca specimens that were removed, and with this activity they are being controlled and practically eliminated from the dunes. This activity took place in an area inside the dune system in the middle zone, spanning from the Juan de la Cosa Hotel to the El Brusco hill.

    Some of the volunteers had previously carried out dune restoration work on the Berria beach with the Directorate General of the Environment, and they remembered some of the native dune species, the invasive species and the restoration tasks they had carried out on previous occasions. Specifically, the areas replanted with sea daffodil bulbs collected in March 2015 and transplanted back into the dune system were particularly visible.

    At the end of the day and as a keepsake, the inmates along with the instructors from the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre, a trainee and the Expert from the Nature Conservation Service from the Government of Cantabria, posed for a photo to leave a record of the hard work that they had all done to conserve the dune systems.

     

    Final jornada, 20.11.15
    Photo of the team of participants in the activity day
  • Volunteering day in Berria with the aim of NACAR project. Event date: 12/06/2015

    Volunteering day in Berria with the aim of NACAR project. Event date: 12/06/2015

    Dune restoration by removing waste, invasive plants and by planting sea daffodils on the Berria beach (SCI Santoña, Victoria and Joyel Marshes)

    NACAR_banderola
    Image of the group of participants on the volunteering day

    After being forced to rain off the activity set for 15th May, this time inmates and technicians from the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre participated in the start of the volunteering activities within the Life+ARCOS programme, also giving continuity to the NACAR Programme (Nature and Prison) that has involved environmental volunteering work since 2009 on the Berria beach dune system.

    articulo_NACAR_localizacion
    Area of action

    The Nature Conservation Expert from the Directorate General of Forestry and Conservation from the Government of Cantabria and two trainees (Technical Forestry Engineers) explained the Life+ARCOS programme, whose main aim is to restore dune systems on different points along the Cantabrian coast. They gave them notions about the Protected Natural Space, the problematic issue of invasive species, planting bulbs, giving their full support at all times for hands-on implementation.

    The first action that was carried out was collecting waste and removing specimens from the entire ragweed population (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) along the tertiary dune area on the Berria beach, using careful manual removal techniques to avoid new shoots from forming in the future from the stoloniferous rhizomes. Some 30 young specimens of another invasive species were found in the same area: Adam’s needle (Yucca gloriosa), which were also removed, excavating the sand so as to remove its roots.

    yucca
    Yucca gloriosa

    Next, almost 100 sea daffodils were replanted (Pancratium maritimum) in the areas cleared of the ragweed. The sea daffodil bulbs used had been kept since March in the nursery of the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre Gardening Workshop, as part of another activity carried out by inmates involving collecting the bulbs from the same dune system where they had been displaced by winter storms.

    ambrosia
    Ambrosia artemisiifolia

    The second activity was carried out on the middle zone of the dune system, in front of the Juan de la Cosa Hotel, also on the Berria beach tertiary dune. First the small stones and rubble piled on the sand were sieved out, so as to remove the largest materials. Next, the sea daffodil bulbs were replanted.

    Plantación de bulbos de azucena marina
    Plantación de bulbos de azucena marina

     

    The objectives of this day to improve the dune system habitats and to raise environmental awareness have been successfully achieved. The area worked on directly, in total comprised some 1,500 m2 of tertiary dune.

    At the end of the day, the inmates received a Life+ARCOS project t-shirt and they were enthusiastic about having the opportunity to have collaborated in this environmental activity.

    As well as various workshops, the El Dueso Penitentiary Centre also has a Radio channel that broadcasts the most important events in which the inmates participate. After the day of volunteering, one of the participants broadcast on the El Dueso Radio Programme in the local area of Santoña, about the activities carried out, including details about the plant species that they had been working on.

    Voluntarios durante los trabajos de restauración de la duna terciaria de Berria
    Volunteers during the Berria tertiary dune restoration works

    We hope to carry out a new activity from the LIFE+ARCOS soon, in collaboration with the NACAR Programme (Nature and Prison)!