- Daniel Sánchez and Eva Pajares learn about the work carried out to enhance the value of this natural space with Fundación Cepsa and the director of the Puente Mayorga Chemical Plant.
- Cepsa and its Foundation recovered the Arroyo de la Madre Vieja more than ten years ago.
The territorial delegate of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the Junta de Andalucía, Daniel Sanchez, held last Friday a working meeting with the heads of Fundación Cepsa at local and Andalusian level, Estrella Blanco and Jesus Velasco, respectively, also making a visit to the Madrevieja Environmental Station, owned by the Foundation. The delegate was accompanied on this visit by the subdelegate of the Andalusian Government in the Campo de Gibraltar, Eva Pajares, and the director of the Puente Mayorga Chemical Plant, Jorge Velasco, as well as technicians from Cepsa and the Junta de Andalucía.
The members of the Junta de Andalucía and the Fundación Cepsa toured the Madrevieja Environmental Station to see first hand the work of recovery of this natural space that Cepsa and the company Ornitour began more than ten years ago and the maintenance and enhancement tasks that are carried out year after year, which have resulted in the recovery of the wetland and biodiversity in this industrialized area, demonstrating that nature and industry can coexist. In addition, this enclave has served to launch projects for the recovery of specific species such as the owl, an initiative in collaboration with the Junta de Andalucía and the European Union, which last year alone involved the release of 19 specimens.
In 2009, Cepsa decided to recover and restore this space as part of its policy on biodiversity, sustainability, commitment and respect for the environment, so as to promote nature research and also serve as a space for environmental education which is open to the public. Over ten years after the project started, it continues to grow in importance. It is now led by Fundación Cepsa and is the first of its kind in the province of Cádiz. The richness and diversity of its habitats have made the Madrevieja Environmental Station a true sanctuary for around 139 cataloged species of birds and 21 mammals.