Environmental Volunteers help native Jujube Tree
6 May 2010, Spain. Environmental Volunteers has once again demonstrated its deep compassion for trees, with its latest action.
In the Regional Park of El Valle y Carrascoy, South of Murcia, Spain, 15 volunteers removed from a Jujube Tree (Ziziphus lotus) more than half a ton of the exotic invasive Prickly pear cacti (Opuntia maxima) that was covering a tree. This paddle cactus was not only responsible for exerting moisture and nutrient pressures on the tree, but was also infected by a cochineal plague (Dactylopius coccus).
The initiative came from the volunteers themselves. During their frequent walks in the protected area, they found the Jujube Tree in a very bad state. Benefiting from the advice of an expert, they invested more than four hours in hard work, cutting, removing and packing 500 kg of prickly pear cacti from the Jujube Tree. All collected organic waste was placed in an appropriate container for disposal by the local authority following the correct treatment protocol.
This group of environmental volunteers found this experience very rewarding when they saw the Jujube Tree emancipated from the pressures of the exotic invasive cacti.
The Jujube tree is an Ibero–African species classified as vulnerable by the Regional Catalogue of Murcia Region Wild Flora (Decree nº 50/2003).
Environmental Volunteers from the Regional Volunteer Programme in Murcia (Spain) have been working for long time on conservation activities in the region’s protected areas. Environmental Volunteers will continue working in 2010, carrying out each Saturday similar activities to protect local biodiversity in Murcia Region Protected areas.
