La Laguna Completes Green Jobs Environmental Plan
The La Laguna City Council has completed its Rural Employment Plan, restoring the environment, improving landscapes, and boosting biodiversity in Mesa Mota and the Slopes of San Roque through job creation and extensive native planting.
The La Laguna City Council has announced the completion of its Rural Employment Plan for Environmental Recovery in Mesa Mota and the Slopes of San Roque 2025. This project, which ran from October 1 to December 31 last year, focused on restoring the environment, improving the landscape, and protecting the soil in two important natural areas within the city.
A team of 72 people worked on the project. They manually cleared land, cleaned trails, removed invasive plants, replaced dead plants, and replanted areas with native species, all while following strict environmental and safety guidelines.
Domingo Galván, the Councillor for Local Development and Environment, emphasized that this plan "shows how job creation can work together with protecting our land." He added that the work "has helped restore the natural environment of Mesa Mota and the slopes of San Roque, boosting biodiversity and improving soil health using environmentally friendly methods."
Fran Hernández, the Councillor for Municipal Services, noted that "this kind of work directly improves safety, the landscape, and how much people can enjoy these natural areas." He added that "cleaning trails, removing invasive plants, and improving the environment help prevent risks and establish a responsible, ongoing approach to public land management." Hernández also mentioned that all collected waste was removed and managed through a joint effort.
In Mesa Mota, the team cleared dry plants, cleaned paths and replanted sections, removed invasive species, and replaced plants that didn't survive from earlier reforestation efforts. Additionally, 134 young trees from the La Tahonilla nursery were planted. These included species typical of laurel and warm forests, such as Canary Island laurels, firetrees, Canary Island pines, junipers, cedars, and strawberry trees. Each new plant received regular watering and individual protection.
On the slopes of San Roque, the work involved manual clearing, improving paths, protecting the soil with plant mulches, and planting 80 new native species. These included Canary Island ebony, firetrees, Canary Island pines, hypericums, palo de sangre, and jocamas. Work also took place in badly eroded spots and nearby landscaped areas, such as the square of the San Roque hermitage and the green spaces of Las Quinteras.
The Rural Employment Plan also enabled the controlled removal of many invasive species, such as foxtail grass, prickly pears, tree tobacco, common reed, eucalyptus, acacias, and castor bean plants. This was done following strict procedures to stop them from spreading and to safely handle the plant waste.
With this project now finished, the La Laguna City Council emphasized that it establishes a strong approach that combines job creation, environmental protection, and improving public spaces. This reinforces the city's dedication to protecting its natural heritage and improving the quality of life for its residents.