In three months of campaigning in the Chinijo Archipelago, 60 WWF volunteers have removed 10 tons of rubble and 720 kilos of other waste from the coasts of La Graciosa. This weekend the summer volunteer campaign in the protected area, which has been held for 17 years with the support of the Autonomous National Parks Agency, has concluded. With the transfer of the waste to the Zonzamas Environmental Complex at the end of this month, WWF will conclude the volunteer campaign that it has been carrying out in the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park since last July. The NGO has also carried out various awareness-raising actions, such as children's workshops and distribution of beach ashtrays and garbage bags.
Since 1998, some 1,400 volunteers have collaborated with WWF in the activities of protection, study and dissemination of the natural values of the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park. "For 17 years we have been contributing to the conservation of this maritime-terrestrial space, the most important in the Canary Islands, supported by the Volunteer Action Plan of the Autonomous National Parks Agency", explain from the NGO. This summer's campaign, which has been held from July to the end of September, has also had the collaboration of the Teguise City Council.
During these three months, the 60 WWF volunteers have helped in the restoration of old dumps located on the coast of La Graciosa, removing some 10 tons of rubble that have been transferred to the Zonzamas Environmental Complex. In addition, 720 kilos of other waste were removed from the coast: cigarette butts, plastic and aluminum containers, containers with substances harmful to the environment, metals, glass, nets and ropes from large ships. "Most of this waste is thrown into the sea by boats of all kinds that pass through the islands, and ends up accumulating on the coasts facing north", explain from the NGO.
In addition, the volunteers of this organization have carried out other activities, such as the control of introduced flora species, the restoration of the old landfill of La Graciosa and studies of threatened flora, seabirds and intertidal invertebrates (which inhabit the limits of low and high tide).
In addition, environmental games and workshops were carried out for the children residing on the island and all the necessary information was made available to the forty thousand visitors that La Graciosa receives every summer to develop a visit that respects the environment. A total of 6,000 tourists have been personally attended by the volunteers at the information point of the Autonomous National Parks Agency installed in the port of Caleta del Sebo, where they were made aware of the garbage generated during their visit. 300 beach ashtrays and 5,000 garbage bags were also distributed to make it easier for visitors to collect their waste.
