Next Saturday, 21 November, we are organising, together with RENATUREM Sur de Alicante (a platform promoted by the University of Alicante), a participatory workshop open to the public on a plot of land made available to ARBA Vega Baja, in the Pinar de la Perdiz area, within the recently designated Sierra de Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor Natural Park.

The plot is situated in an area affected by the high mortality rate among pine trees recorded following the 2023–2024 drought, one of the most severe episodes in recent decades in South-east Spain, which has highlighted the need to rethink forest management in the face of advancing climate change.

The event, which will begin at 9.30 am, will take the form of a participatory workshop: local organisations, researchers and residents of the region will work side by side to analyse the ecological condition of the land and explore possible improvementstogether, combining scientific knowledge with the experience and concerns of the local community.

The event will begin with a presentation of the plot of land and a description of its context within the new Natural Park. The group will then tour the site to assess, with the support of experts from the University of Alicante, the various parameters to be considered for the assessment and proposed action plan: topography, existing vegetation, wildlife indicators, landscape units present, etc., following the guidelines set out on the DERTO online platform for an introduction to restoration. Finally, all participants will meet to share their views and discuss possible ways of improving the ecological condition of the plot, taking into account factors such as environmental, technical and economic considerations.

The outcome of this co-design exercise will result in a number of proposals for action on the ground, which ARBA Vega Baja will be able to implement if we secure the necessary resources. Furthermore, we propose using the site as an experimental plot to test direct-seeding reforestationtechniques, on which we are already working alongside the Semillistasassociation, which specialises in this innovative field.

The workshop is open to anyone interested, with no prior knowledge required. Admission is free until capacity is reached, but you must register in advance via our contact formproviding the following details:

• Name and surname of the applicant and, where applicable, of any accompanying persons, specifying whether there are any minors
• Phone and email address

During the workshop, photos and videos will be taken which may be published on the ARBA Vega Baja website, social media and in the press. Anyone who does not wish to appear in these may let us know at info@arbavegabaja.com and this will be taken into account.

We will provide further details about the meeting point during the registration process.