The Madrid City Council has organized a comprehensive program to enjoy the rich tree heritage of the capital in celebration of International Day of Forests or Tree Day (March 21). This year, the FAO has chosen the theme ‘Forests and Food’ to highlight the importance of large tree masses as a means of livelihood for millions of people.
The Environmental Information and Education Center (CIEA) at Casa de Campo has put together a diverse and fun program for all audiences, including a children’s scavenger hunt for elves (March 15), guided tours to discover the notable and unique trees in the park (March 16 and 19), conferences, exhibitions, and a large family tree planting event (March 22).
They have also organized a special edition of the Tree Festival to showcase the power of urban tree planting and the great work done by gardeners in conserving the city’s green heritage. Over the years, this event has led to the planting of over 800 specimens of different tree and shrub species. The exhibition ‘Trees: past, present, and future of a Madrid wrapped in branches’ pays tribute to these professionals, essential for the care of green areas. It can be visited until March 31 at the Casa de Campo center.
Field Notebook in Dehesa de la Villa
Trees are friendly elements that offer numerous environmental benefits: they produce oxygen, purify the air, regulate the climate, and provide shelter for wildlife. Additionally, they are the raw material for making pencils to convey ideas and dreams. On Sunday, March 30, there will be a workshop at the CIEA Dehesa de la Villa to learn how to draw tree field notebooks led by artist Juan Carlos Rodríguez. He will once again teach the quick drawing technique to illustrate the most prominent trees. This activity combines botany and art, while also sharing the history and ecology of each species.
The Seed Festival at Retiro Park
The CIEA Huerto del Retiro offers two guided tours to discover the notable trees along Recoletos and Prado avenues (March 20) and a tour inside the historic garden (March 27). Everything is set for a new edition of the much-anticipated Seed Festival on March 29, welcoming spring with plant giveaways, workshops, music, a producer’s fair, and seed exchange. All activities take place in the morning.
Moreover, the Maris Stella Environmental and Cultural Education Center has prepared a dense program with various activities spread over two days. On March 21, there will be the Guardianesde Pradolongo trail for school children and a botanical path for the general public. Both activities will end with the planting of several trees, supervised by park gardeners. On Saturday, March 22, the walk will be repeated and complemented with a workshop to draw the trees of the large Orcasitas Park (Usera).
Guided Walks from the Madrid Environmental Program
The specific Tree Day program is complemented by the general activities of the Madrid Environmental program, part of the quarterly Hábitat Madrid agenda. Around March 21, the following guided tours are scheduled: linear park of Manzanares (March 19), Caleido Park (March 21), West Park (March 22 and 23), and a walk through some of the hidden gardens in the city center (March 26), small scenarios hidden behind the curtain of streets and buildings.
Plantations in Villaverde and Fuencarral-El Pardo
Trees are generous and continuously provide us with good deeds, offering friendly sensations and replenishing soil nutrients. A planting is planned in Dehesa Boyal Park in Villaverde to enhance its rich biodiversity with oaks, shade plane trees, Japanese acacias, and elms, as well as two plantings in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district. The first will take place on March 21 in Fuentelarreina Park, with the participation of students from CEIP Alhambra and District Collaboration Unit staff. The second date is March 25 at the green area on Cardinal Herrera Oria Avenue 103, with the presence of students from IES Dámaso Alonso, members of the neighborhood’s senior center, and District Collaboration Unit members. Both actions will involve planting 30 trees of different species such as shade plane trees, common elms, Chinese privets, magnolias, sweetgums, privets, tamarisks, and chaste trees, enhancing biodiversity in the district’s small green spaces.
Arboreal City of the World 2024
All these activities serve to celebrate, for the sixth consecutive year, Madrid’s recent renewal as the Arboreal City of the World 2024, a designation by the FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of the commitment and efforts made by the Madrid City Council in promoting and conserving green areas.
The Tree Day activities are part of the Environmental Education Department’s program in the Urbanism, Environment, and Mobility Area, under the direction of Borja Carabante, and involve the participation of district councils through various environmental information and interpretation centers. /
