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Areas Urbanism & territory, Tourism and Economic activities Environment

School children collect scientific data about micro-plastics on local beaches

mestre-llui--s-andre premsa1The Formentera Council Office of Environment reports that pupils of the Mestre Lluís Andreu school took part in a day of education which found pupils joining artist Sol Courreges in creating a symbolism-heavy project incorporating micro-plastics gathered over the past year. Children also read out short manifestos in defence of the planet.

This 2018-2019 school year, GEN-GOB and the Council have collaborated on a project called “Plastic Zero” across the island's three primary schools in Sant Francesc, Sant Ferran and la Mola. Spearheaded by the Centre d'Estudis Avançats in Blanes, a group that works to monitor plastics pollution on Mediterranean beaches across Catalunya, Mallorca, Alacant, Eivissa, and now Formentera, the project has obtained help from the science-related civil society group Seawatchers (Observadors del Mar).

To get things off the ground, September of last year saw the selection, based on location, of three local beaches, that would be used to study how pollution effects sea currents. Cavall d'en Borràs was sponsored by Mestre Lluís Andreu, es Pujols by Sant Ferran and es Arenals by la Mola and the other two schools. Some 700 primary school pupils are thought to have participated.

During the school year, children observed established scientific protocol as they gathered samples, which were taken to to schools in order for other students to analyse and classify the plastics. Once entered into the system and weighed, that data was sent to the Seawatchers website.

According to acting environment councillor Daisee Aguilera was on hand for today's event and followed the initiative's progress first-hand during the school year. “Projects like these are terific examples of how to teach future generations about the importance of caring for our environment”, she said. She took the opportunity to give her thanks to the educational community and collaborators for their help “making our island a more sustainable place”.


7 June 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Cleaning crews take on la Savina canal

foto-neteja-canal-de-la-savina1The Formentera Council environment office reports that cleaning operations will be carried out today (30 May) on a canal in la Savina near salterns called salines d'en Ferrer. The administration brought in an outside firm to oversee the work after reports that the freshwater drainage canal was in less than ideal condition due to clogged up waste. A technical study piloted by the Council determined that failure to drain properly meant that water remained stagnant, causing a foul smell and an explosion of insect numbers.

The Council has pledged to pay €1,875.50 (VAT included) for the work, which will be conducted between 8.00am to 6.00pm. The last time similar actions were taken was three years ago. As in the photo below, crews will focus on a segment of the canal which abuts the salines d'en Ferrer and lies between Gregal and Ponent streets, where the canal drains into estany des Peix.

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CiF Office of Environment has pointed out the section in question is crosscut by a number of pipes, among them sewage. The Council's requests to have the pipes removed are currently being processed, an initiative which is included in a strategy to replace and upgrade the local sanitation grid that being driven by the Balearic agency for water and environmental quality, Abaqua.


30 May 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Islanders take time to clear rock piles

photo-2019-05-29-08-30-40-1-This Saturday, 1 June, volunteers will gather in the es Trucadors area of the island for a morning of education and rock pile removal. All those interested in taking part should reserve their spot by sending an email to educacio@gengob.org.

Volunteers coming from Eivissa will meet at the Formentera ferry terminal at 8.30am and have a free shuttle service. Formentera residents will gather directly at es Ministre car park at 10.30am.

The idea is to remove at least some of the piled up stones in the area. Participants will learn about how stacking up stones poses problems for many native species, not to mention the landscape.


29 May 2019
Office of Communication
Formentera Council

Council installs 199 solar panels across 6 public buildings

foto plaques solars 1The Formentera Council's environment department reports that 199 photovoltaic panels have been fitted on the rooftops of six public buildings around the island: 15 on es Molí, 60 at the Sant Francesc library, 24 at the slaughterhouse, 8 at la Mola school, and 56 and 36 at the Mestre Lluís Andreu's respective upper and lower campuses.

Funding for the €111,215 project was provided by the Govern balear (€54,608) and the Formentera Council (€56,607). The equipment is expected to generate 89,760kW per year, for an annual savings of €9,689.

In the words of environment councillor Daisee Aguilera: “The Council hopes to gradually replace electric power for more renewable sources like solar energy”.

May 21, 2019
Àrea de Comunicació
Formentera Council

Pitching in to clean up s'Espalmador

neteja-espalmador-xarxes-1-The environment office of the Formentera Council reports that no more space is available for Plastic Free Formentera's coastal clean-up on s'Espalmador island, Sunday May 19. Between the twenty people who will perform cleaning underwater and fifty scheduled to work on the shoreline, a total of roughly seventy islanders have signed up to take part. Volunteers will set out at 9.00am from la Savina port.

Organisers regret that not everyone who wanted to take part was able to. Approximately twenty were turned away and encouraged to come out for future clean-ups.


May 17, 2019
Àrea de Comunicació
Formentera Council

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Formentera neta, naturalmet gràcies a valtros

Xarxa Natura de les Illes Balears

Punt d'Informació Ambiental

Balears Life Posidonia

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