Deseucaliptizacion en Ares

25.10.2020
Montefaro

 

At a first sight, cutting trees might seem like a cruel and irresponsible action, but in Galicia this procedure is necessary when it comes to Eucalyptus trees. 

Eucalyptus is an exotic species of trees that was first brought from Australia to Spain at the end of the 19th century. Given the fact that Spain and Europe in general do not represent the natural environment for this species, the Eucalyptus causes significant harmful effects on the rest of the flora, endangering the healthy life cycle of it.

In October, we reunited with Betula Association in Montefaro for such an action.

Why is the Eucalyptus so bad?

First, the Eucalyptus tree releases biochemicals that are toxic for other species so as a result, it is difficult for native plant species to grow near the Eucalyptus, leading to a reduction in diversity of the flora. 

This species requires a lot of water and it has a rapid growing rate, so it “steals” the water that the other plants need, too. This can also cause drought of the soils where the Eucalyptus grow.

 The roots of Eucalyptus grow deep in the earth and therefore the plants and trees that have shorter roots cannot get the water and nutrients from the soil properly.

Since the natural flora disappears because of the Eucalyptus, the risk of fires is getting higher. The Eucalyptus is a very flammable tree, but at the same time it recovers fast from burning. This causes fires to spread more easily.

Making the most of our efforts

We wanted to be as efficient as possible, so we parted into teams, in order to clean simultaneously from different spots of the beach. Little by little, our hands turned busy with bags of litter which were becoming heavier and heavier. Lollipop sticks, ear cleaning cotton sticks, bottle caps, pieces of plastic bags, plastic ropes and many other items were the main invaders of the beach and flora.

Around 15 bags of trash were gathered at the end of the project and everything has been done in 2 hours. 

We thank Betula Association for their initiative and for inspiring people around them! Together, we are developing the love for the environment and try to make it a better place.

What will come next?…