UC3M joins World Environment Day with a reforestation plan on campuses
6/5/24
The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is joining World Environment Day with a programme of activities, most notably including a plan for the reforestation of trees on the Getafe campus and increasing plant biodiversity with the incorporation of new native species.
One of the goals of World Environment Day is to promote global awareness and environmental action. This international day, celebrated every year on the 5th of June, has become a platform to promote progress on the environmental aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Under the slogan “Our lands. Our future. We are the #RestorationGeneration”, the 2024 edition focuses on land restoration, containing desertification and strengthening drought resilience.
UC3M has prepared a programme of activities that starts on the 5th of June with the planting of new tree species on the Getafe campus. This activity is part of the “Reforesting the Getafe campus” project, which will replace trees in poor condition over the next five years. The aim of this action is to increase biodiversity with new tree species, leading to the emergence of ecological niches that can be used by fauna. The replacement will be scheduled according to the specific needs of the environment, choosing the right species for each space, regulating the population density and covering spaces where the number of specimens is low.
The first planting action will take place on Wednesday the 5th at 12:30pm, in the meadow between the Ortega y Gasset (17) and Carmen Martín Gaite (18) buildings.
In this regard, culinary and medicinal plants (rosemary, coriander, mint, basil and other plants that don't require much space to grow) will be distributed on the Getafe and Leganés campuses on the 5th and 6th of June respectively.
On the 5th at the Getafe campus and on the 6th at the Leganés campus, the “UC3M Butterflies” oasis will be inaugurated, an initiative promoted by the Spanish Association for the Protection of Butterflies and their Environment (ZERYNTHIA) which will plant lavender, rosemary, fennel and oregano, as they are species that promote the development and free-range breeding of butterflies and other pollinators.
Between the 5th and 9th of June you can attend the immersive theatre production “Hiperión: sensory streaming to the past” online, a play recorded with binaural sound in UC3M’s acoustics laboratory.
Finally, the registration period for the 6th edition of the “Planet Earth, Planet Life” photography contest is open between the 5th of June and the 24th of September, with two categories: nature photography and environmental denunciation photography, in which human-induced degradation of urban or natural ecosystems is highlighted.
These activities are organised by the Vice Rector’s Office for Sustainable Development, Cooperation and Healthy Campuses, in collaboration with the Vice Rector’s Office for Infrastructure, the Infrastructure, Works and Environmental Sustainability Service, the Hall of Arts Service, and the Sports, Activities and Participation Service. The Polvoranca Environmental Education Centre is participating as an external entity.
