Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.
EU funding for palm grove conservation in Fuerteventura
The Cabildo of Fuerteventura, through its Biosphere Reserve department, has secured European funding for a project to recover, protect and genetically conserve the island’s native Phoenix canariensis palm groves. The indigenous palm groves of Fuerteventura, along with those of Gran Canaria and the Phoenix atlântica of Cape Verde, have all received this financing under the Palmac programme, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg VI-D Madeira-Azores-Canaries (MAC) 2021-2027 territorial cooperation programme.
On Fuerteventura, work on the ground has already begun, focusing on improvement and restoration measures for the natural palm groves at Madre del Agua in the municipality of Pájara, with further work planned at Gran Tarajal in the municipality of Tuineje.
Combating climate change threats
The Palmac programme studies the palm grove populations under its remit in depth, seeking solutions to guarantee their survival in the medium and long term in the face of climate change. The island’s president, Lola García, has noted that native palm groves are vulnerable to uncontrollable factors such as external pests and drastic environmental changes. For this reason, the Cabildo of Fuerteventura is leading conservation initiatives, including joining the Palmac project, which aims to adapt palm groves to these changes through genetic techniques and predictive models.
Marlene Figueroa, the Cabildo’s Biosphere Reserve councillor, explains that Palmac is another example of the importance of scientific research and collaboration at all levels beyond national borders in overcoming the harmful effects of climate change; “effects that we suffer locally but which extend across entire regions of the planet.” Pedro Sosa, Professor of Botany at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), highlights that this is “an environmental initiative aimed at conserving island palm groves against the effects of drought and climate change.”
Macaronesian partnership
The geographical, scientific and landscape scope of this project is evident in its partners from the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, co-funded by Interreg MAC: the ULPGC, which is the lead partner and scientific coordinator; the cabildos of Fuerteventura – through the Biosphere Reserve and with the collaboration of the councils of Pájara and Tuineje – and Gran Canaria; Gestión y Planeamiento Territorial y Medioambiental (Gesplan); and the Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Agrário (INIDA) of Cape Verde.
Restoration work at Madre del Agua
Through Palmac, various actions are being carried out on the natural palm grove at Madre del Agua, including the installation and monitoring of traps for phytosanitary surveillance and the preventive control of Diocalandra frumenti, a damaging palm weevil. Dry leaves and plant debris are also being removed to clean the palm specimens, and accumulated dry biomass on the ground is being cleared and managed to reduce the risk of fires. Part of the removed biomass is shredded and reused as mulch, which helps conserve soil moisture and reduce erosion.
Finally, some trunks of dead palm trees are being placed transversally on the slopes. This low-impact technique, which reuses natural materials already present in the area, helps slow the loss of fertile soil.
Work to extend to Gran Tarajal
Once work at Madre del Agua is complete, the Palmac project will move to the municipality of Tuineje to carry out a mirror action on the natural palm groves at Gran Tarajal. This will allow the restoration work done at Madre del Agua to be complemented and compared.
Both palm species – the Canary Island palm (Phoenix canariensis) of Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, and the tamareira (Phoenix atlântica) of Cape Verde – face common threats, including reduced water resources and rising temperatures, factors that compromise their survival in the medium and long term.
A shared goal for the region
The Palmac project (formally titled “Conservation and resilience of Macaronesian island palm groves through genetic techniques, geographic information systems and predictive models”), funded by ERDF through Interreg MAC 2021-2027, involves public institutions and bodies across Macaronesia. Its partners aim to achieve a broad analysis of the realities facing these palm species across the different archipelagos, with the common goal of finding viable solutions for the region.
Palmac combines various tools and areas of expertise, including genetic analysis, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), germplasm and seed banks, and predictive landscape models. These efforts help identify specimens and populations of conservation interest and generate information to underpin restoration and improvement work in palm groves on the ground.
What’s happening in the Canaries – straight to your phone
News, weather alerts and practical updates – direct from the islands, in English. We live here and know what’s going on – before the international media catch up. Everything lands on our WhatsApp channel – no middlemen, no algorithm. Curated for families, expats and travelers.
Playa Jardín closed again over sewage contamination
Invasive squirrel caught in Lanzarote after hitching lift
Betancourt: Canary Islands key for renewables
Lopesan slashes buffet food waste by 80% with AI
New drone guide to protect Canary Islands wildlife
Maspalomas dunes: a protected reserve ‘on paper only’
La Gomera palm trees entombed in concrete spark outrage
Mareas del Pino: why September seas surge in the Canaries
Tenerife’s flood hotspots revealed in new risk map
