Recover the Mediterranean Diversity, Spagna

The project works mainly in Sierra Lujar thought it's growing and creating new sites in other areas of Granada province and other provinces of Spanish Mediterranean.
The Sierra Lujar, between the Sierra Nevada Natural Park and the Mediterranean Sea, is heavily degraded due to coal extraction, mining, and forest fires in the past decades and the government policy of reforestation with only pine trees.
With this project the association Semillistas aims to restore more than 4000 hectares of the Sierra Lujar over the next 10 years.

Currently, half of the sierra is covered by reforested pine forest, with little undergrowth. The other half, after repeated fires, has, at best, a wide variety of small shrubs, and in the most degraded areas, only a few species and a very shallow soil.

Due to the altitudinal gradient of the Sierra Lujar, between 300 and 1900 meters above sea level, and its deep ravines, this mountain has a wide variety of habitats that allow the establishment of different plant communities within the Mediterranean ecosystem of the holm oak forest. There are areas where the poor soil conditions only allow the introduction of small bushes, to areas where we can plant oaks and strawberry trees.

The project includes 13 planting sites in Sierra Lujar plus 1 more in Orgiva and other in Sierra de Mariola (Alicante province).
The area of the "miners' path" will be restored with holm oaks, kermes oaks, mastic trees, hawthorns and other minor shrubs. This is the main area of action. The other areas are intended to provide a better understanding of the restoration possibilities in the variety of habitats in the sierra, in order to design major interventions in the coming years.

In addition to reforestation, the project also aims to contribute to building a community that is more united, healthy, resilient and committed to its territory through:

· Building a team of local volunteers who will participate in the activities of planting, harvesting, etc. ...., who will be trained and empowered in the care of their land. And who in the future will be able to guide outside volunteers who come to collaborate.

· Integrating the most vulnerable members of the community (minors at risk, migrants, women....) working together with social services and local organizations.

· Promoting holistic physical and mental health care by offering information, healthy practices and therapies from local professionals to volunteers and vulnerable local population.

· Promoting rural development in a sustainable way, creating new economies, maintaining and taking care of the land.


* Objectives for 2023:
- 4 reforestation days with a total of 80 local volunteers
- 24 reforestation days and activities with 15 participants from European volunteers
- 16 reforestation days with a team of 5 hired people.
- 2 days of seed harvesting with a team of 5 people hired.
- 300 thousand seeds prepared with biotechnology of 12 autochthonous species.
- 30 sessions of body care practices, e.g.: stretching, yoga, etc. .....before the reforestation activities (1 each day).
- 45 therapeutic body care services offered to volunteers
- 3 workshops in 2 organisations in the Alpujarra region (total 6 workshops)
- 6 talks and workshops in 6 different villages of the Alpujarra region (total 6 talks) with a minimum of 60 participants.
- Hosting of 15 young people from the European Voluntary Service project CES for 2 months in the reforestation project.
- Creation and publication of a good practice guide
- Generation of 4 employment contracts for the members of the association for the management and execution of the activities
of the activities; 5 permanent contracts for sowing and harvesting activities (80 days in total);
subcontracting of 45 therapeutic services;
Of all co-contracted and sub-contracted workers, more than 50% are women, families with children, young people and long-term unemployed; in rural areas.