EMAYA to increase Nature Centre visits

PALMA
EMAYA (Palma's water and rubbish collection company) announced that its aim this year is to increase the number of schools on the islands which visit its Nature Centre every year.

It wants to put special emphasis on education centres which are attended by people with physical or psychological disabilites, as well as old people's homes, residents associations and other groups.

This was announced yesterday at a press conference by the President of EMAYA and Palma's councillor for Environment, Economy and Work, Maria Cerdo, who visited the Indigenous Flora and Fauna Experimental Centre situated in the EDAR II water treatment station. Also present was the director of EMAYA, Malen Tortella, and the Environmental coordinator, Paula Cortes.

EMAYA's intention is to extend the visits to the Centre to other groups, with the intention of boosting the training work done in this Centre. The number of schools on Majorca which visit the Centre yearly has increased dramatically. In 2006 they received 5'242 pupils from 65 schools, some 145 percent more than in 2005. In addition to increasing the number of pupils, EMAYA is planning new activities with the intention of looking closely at the conditions for indigenous flora and fauna to adapt themselves to living around water treatment plants. At the moment, they have started planting trees at the second water treatment plant situated in San Jordi, in the Falca Verde (green belt) and in the Son Ferriol lake.

The Nature Centre was started in 1998 with the aim of studying and analysing the influence of treated water coming from the EDAR II water treatment plant in Palma on the flora and fauna of the island.

There are more than 100 types of trees and bushes in the Centre, as well as a great variety of fauna (swans, the Mediterranean turtle, and the Royal carp), which have adapted perfectly in this experimental centre.