2 minute read
Invasive species
BETWEEN May 13 and 21, the third edition of the Week on Invasive Species (SEI) was held in the Iberian Peninsula in which Elche’s Rio Safari took part.
Some invasive species are accidentally introduced. For example, on ships that cross different bodies of water, stowaways travel such as the zebra mussel which causes clogged pipes and overcrowds the beaches of the North American Great Lakes.
species in Spain as it competes with native pond turtles (leper pond turtle and European pond turtle), displacing their populations.
The Florida pond turtle reaches a larger size, reaches sexual maturity earlier, produces more offspring and has a wide food spectrum. Being a voracious omnivorous predator, it feeds on plants and numerous species of invertebrates, amphibians, and native fish.
Open garden
THE annual Campoverde Open Garden Day defied the recent unsettled weather to have a perfect day of bright sunshine between the bouts of extreme bad weather that plagued the rest of the Costa Blanca.
As a self funded charity run entirely by volunteers, they rely on donations and support from businesses as well as the general public.
It costs an average of €16 per each call taken, or to put it another way, to hear the words “I am feeling better about things now.”
Further information about Samaritans in Spain is available at www.samaritansinspain.com.
Together we are stronger.
But some invasive species are deliberately introduced. This is the case of the Florida tortoise, a species that became a very popular pet in Spanish homes a few years ago and which some people ended up releasing into the natural environment when they could no longer take care of the pet.
The Florida tortoise is considered to be one of the most harmful invasive
There were five gardens open to the public this year with each offering different aspects of gardening to suit all tastes.
No matter whether you have a small terrace with a few pots or a large lawned paradise there was a something for everyone to enjoy.
Over 200 people visited the various gardens and took the opportunity to quiz the gardeners whilst at the same time swopping tips and garden remedies.
Organiser James McAllister from Campoverde Church in the Community confirmed that the event is now in its sixth year.
James said, “As a Church that is very much focused on our community, we not only see Open Garden as a fun event for local people, but also as a means towards raising funds for our annual Kids Summer Club as visitors to the gardens very kindly make small voluntary donations.”
Anna Ellis ELCHE’s free trips for senior citizens to Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences will resume on September 14.
The councillor for Seniors’ Policies, Puri Vives, has announced that there are already dates for free visits for senior citizens to the City of Arts and Sciences.
The new dates for visits to Valencia are September 14, October 17, November 15 and December 14.
Those interested must be 60 years of age or older, be registered in Elche and fill in a simple online questionnaire, which can be found on the website www.elche.es/mayores
For those who find it difficult to complete the online questionnaire, they can go to OMAC Digital, located in the Social Centre of San Anton, C/ Francisco Perez Campillonº22 where
THE official figures for the number of eligible voters in Orihuela Costa have now been published by the National Statistics Institute (INI).
The total number of eligible voters in Orihuela Costa is 7,000, down from a total of 7,550 in 2019.
As expected, the main reason for this fall in the number of eligible voters is the drop of some 30 per cent in the number of non
