The Cabildo and Fundación Cepsa expand the nursery of the El Portillo Botanical Garden

• This project will double the production of plants that will be used to reforest Teide National Park after last summer's fire

Fundación Cepsa and the Cabildo de Tenerife, acting through the Natural Environment, Sustainability, Safety, and Emergencies area, have launched the project to expand the nursery of the El Portillo Botanical Garden, located in Teide National Park, to reforest the area affected by last summer's fire. The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, the Councilor for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Safety and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, and the head of Fundación Cepsa in the Canary Islands, Belén Machado, recently visited the facility where the project will be undertaken.

Blanca Pérez explained that "this initiative is aimed at ensuring a sufficient production of plants to cover the reforestation needs after the fire in August last year. We are carrying out various actions to recover our forests, and we are grateful for the support of Fundación Cepsa to expand the Botanical Garden's nursery".

For her part, Belén Machado noted that "because of what Tenerife means to Cepsa, since this is where the company has its roots, and because the Teide is a symbol for the people of Tenerife, we have chosen this site to implement our collaboration with the environmental restoration of the areas hit by the fire that recently affected the island. The nursery has a very important role in conserving and rescuing the flora of Teide, and after what happened, it was essential to expand it."

The nursery expansion will be located in an area annexed to the current nursery, with an area of about 200 m², which will at least double the production of plants. The project includes the expansion work, which will consist of creating an entrance to the nursery, land leveling, construction of stone walls, installation of tables for plant production, irrigation network, perimeter fencing and installation of a sign and interpretive table.

The Botanical Garden is located near the El Portillo Visitor Center and covers an area of four hectares where specimens produced in the nursery have been introduced to integrate them into the existing vegetation and label each of the species with the common and scientific name; botanical family to which it belongs; map with geographical distribution, both on the island and, where appropriate, in the Canary archipelago.

The El Portillo Botanical Garden is part of the International Association of Botanical Gardens. In addition to public enjoyment and appreciation, it plays an important role in the conservation and rescue of the national park's flora, since the nursery has seedbeds, a greenhouse, a shadehouse, a laboratory, and a station. A total of 1,200 meters of pathway have been prepared for the entire tour, and a significant part of the route has been adapted for people with reduced mobility, allowing them to use wheelchairs and baby carriages for a large part of the tour.