SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Tenerife Island Council has successfully wrapped up the second edition of the Youth Volunteer Camp in the Teide National Park. This initiative was orchestrated by the Environmental Participation and Volunteering Office of the Island Council, alongside the Red Cross and the Teide National Park Office, engaging eight young individuals.
Divided into three phases – with the first phase occurring in July and the subsequent one planned for October – the project seeks to foster awareness and appreciation of the local environment while highlighting conservation efforts within Teide National Park.
Blanca Pérez, the Minister for the Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, emphasises in a statement that “this initiative enables the promotion of the environmental values of Teide National Park amongst the participants, who in turn become advocates.”
She further adds that “through this volunteering effort, we also contribute to the protection and preservation of Teide’s biodiversity and ecosystems.”
Over the course of three days, the young volunteers engaged in a project aimed at controlling invasive exotic species while also familiarising themselves with the Garden of the Portillo-Wolfredo Wilpret Visitor Centre.
They contributed to activities at the nursery, which plans to cultivate 138,000 native plants by 2026, and assisted in the development of satisfaction and information surveys, in addition to rehabilitating park trails.
The volunteers also took part in training workshops about bat conservation in collaboration with the Terramare Environmental Association, among others.
The Youth Volunteer Camps are being held in conjunction with celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Teide National Park’s designation, the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Office of Environmental Participation and Volunteering, and the 150th anniversary of the Spanish Red Cross’s presence in the Canary Islands.