The Cabildo of Tenerife alongside the Moeve Foundation will undertake reforestation efforts in the areas impacted by the 2023 forest fire within El Teide National Park, aiming to produce 140,000 plant specimens by 2026.
This information was conveyed by the island corporation in a release, announcing the completion of the initial phase of the Wolfredo Wilpret Botanical Garden Nursery expansion within the Teide National Park.
Blanca Pérez, the Minister for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, along with Belén Machado, the representative of the Moeve Foundation in the Canary Islands, had the opportunity to tour the facilities which have been enlarged by approximately 200 square metres at the El Portillo Visitor Centre, to enhance the collection of plants of various types for subsequent replanting.
The Cabildo emphasises that the nursery’s expansion has comprised numerous developments, including an access road, site levelling, construction of stone walls, alongside the establishment of plant production tables, an irrigation system, and a surrounding fence for the new area.
The primary types of flora being cultivated by the specialised technicians include the ladder, Canarian cedar, summit jarilla, Teide violet, and broom. These species are part of a programme involving 200 classified plants of significant environmental importance produced at the nursery.
Machado highlighted that “it brings immense satisfaction to the organisation to contribute to the Cabildo of Tenerife and to the Island along with its citizens in preserving the Teide National Park. Following the fires that took place in the summer of 2023, there was an urgent need for plants for reforestation in this natural area, and we responded to the call for support by aiding in the nursery’s expansion.”
At the Wolfredo Wilpret Botanical Garden, encompassing over 40,000 square metres, the entire lifecycle of the plants is addressed: from seed selection through greenhouse growth and climatic conditioning, controlled and protected planting, to the final stage when they reach the size required for their survival.
The Cabildo asserts that endemic plant nurseries are crucial for repopulating areas, as they promote the preservation of local biodiversity and restoration of specific ecosystems.
Additionally, fencing has been erected in certain regions of El Teide National Park to ensure the speedy recovery of flora and to prevent the influence of herbivores inhabiting the park, such as rabbits and mouflons. Once the plants have matured, the fences will be taken down as they will be resilient enough to withstand the herbivores’ actions.
