Surfers of the net help in reforestation scheme

The aid of Internet surfers may be enlisted to help in the reforestation of La Trapa in Andraitx, following the success of a scheme run by the Fundación Natura, which led to 2'200 pines being planted in the Serra de Cuberes in Baix Pallars (Catalonia), devastated by a forest fire in 1980. La Trapa is in Andraitx, and was purchased by the environmental group GOB with funds raised by public subscription. It takes its name from the ruins of a Trappist monastery, which is now being restored with the aid of the Council of Majorca, which will convert it into one of its refuges on the mountain route. This route will allow ramblers to walk from Andratx to Pollença in easy stages, spending the night in a series of refuges. A large part of the natural area of La Trapa has been destroyed by fire and GOB has shown great interest in the Fundación Natura scheme. In the Baix Pallars scheme, nearly 37'000 surfers clicked on to the Foundation's website, plantatuarbol.com, (it means ‘plant your tree’) and for each click, firms sponsoring the project paid in four to six pesetas. In this way it raised one million pesetas. It is the first time that the Foundation has used this system of financing, which it introduced in April. In an earlier stage of reforestation at the Serra de Cuberes, seven million pesetas was provided by the Foundation and BP Oil to plant 8'000 trees in autumn last year. The cost of reforestation depends on the place, and in the case of Sierra de Cuberes it was expensive and laborious, as access to the area destroyed by fire was difficult. In addition to planting the trees, 1'400 metres of protective fencing has been put up to prevent deer, boars and sheep damaging the young trees. The fencing will be removed when the trees are strong enough to survive.