Last Saturday, August 1st, El Burrero beach was the setting for the ‘Environmental Awareness, Education, and Action Days El Burrero Beach 2026’. The initiative, driven by the Ingenio City Council through the Department of Ecological Transition, Sustainability, and Beaches, aimed to promote environmental education, foster the conservation of natural heritage, and encourage sustainable practices among citizens and beach users.
The event took place along the El Burrero Maritime Avenue, at the Environmental Education Classroom, and in the littoral environment, featuring significant citizen participation and a notable social impact with a diverse program for all audiences.
The activity benefited from the collaboration of numerous institutions and entities, including the Environmental Department of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, the Fisheries Department, the Intermunicipal Association of the Southeast, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the PROMAR Network of the Government of the Canary Islands, the association Naturaleza al Rescate S.O.S., the Club Deportivo Senderistas Caminando con Ingenio, the Animalist Association Villa de Ingenio, the Sociocultural Association Acción Aborigen, the collective El Ratiño, the Club de Pesca Buarpo, and the agency Europa Direct Canarias. This network of collaborators highlighted the environmental conservation work carried out by public administrations, universities, and associative groups.
Around sixty participants, primarily volunteers and association representatives, joined the coastline cleanup, removing approximately 200 kgs of waste. This action was part of the «1m² for beaches and seas» campaign from the LIBERA Project (Ecoembes and SEO/BirdLife), coordinated by the collective El Ratiño. The program also included audiovisual screenings, talks on waste management and avifauna conservation, and presentations of research projects from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Attendees also enjoyed an educational show by the company Cancionero Isleño and various environmental outreach activities aimed at raising awareness about the importance of protecting the marine environment.
One of the most emotional and symbolic moments was the release of a Caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle), which had been rescued and cared for by staff from the Wildlife Recovery Center of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria. Members of the Fundación Canaria Pequeño Valiente also participated, having previously assisted in the coastline cleanup. The turtle release generated great anticipation among the numerous attendees.
The celebration of these days contributes to the Blue Flag program's criteria for environmental information and education, reinforcing the Ingenio City Council's commitment to the environmental quality of El Burrero beach and its sustainable coastal management model. The initiative aligns with the principles of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals related to protecting marine and terrestrial ecosystems, climate action, responsible consumption and production, and biodiversity conservation.
The Department of Ecological Transition expressed gratitude to all institutions, entities, associations, collectives, and volunteers whose involvement made this edition possible, consolidating an initiative that fosters environmental education, citizen participation, and collective commitment to the conservation and protection of our natural environment.
