Salinas De Rambla Salada
Region
Europe
Country
Spain
Flyway
East Atlantic flyway
Initiative
WLI Europe
About
Name of organisation
Asociación La Carraca
Funding support
Biodiversity Foundation.
Directorate-General for Natural Heritage and Climate Action.
Number of staff
2 -10 (Volunteers)
Number of visitors per year
50 to 500
Overall aims of the centre
Restore or prevent the deterioration of all the artificial structures associated with the traditional and artisanal production of spring salt.
To interpret to the public the landscapes and natural habitats associated with the saline wetlands inland, or far from the coast, in the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation.
Consolidate social participation through environmental volunteering and Land Stewardship.
Maintain and develop didactic materials for use in the educational and informative offer of the "Salinas de Rambla Salada" Nature Classroom.
Description of the centre
Area: 10 Ha
Property regime: Public Forest.
Owner: Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. Directorate-General for Natural Heritage and Climate Action.
A species of duck included in the World Red List (IUCN, 2001) and another on the European Red List: White-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) (EN; A1acde)
Status: wintering, with a maximum census of 316 specimens counted in September 2006.
Brown Pochards (Aythya nyroca)
Status in Europe: Vulnerable.
Status: wintering.
The area is home to three invertebrates proposed for inclusion on the IUCN World Red List as they meet threat criteria:
Octhebius glaber Vulnerable.
Octhebius montesi Vulnerable.
Cephalota deserticoloides Vulnerable.
In the Nature Classroom of Salinas de Rambla Salada you can find information on the habitats present in the Protected Landscape and SAC Rambla Salada and Ajauque. 13 habitats of community interest have been described, four of which are priority (marked with an asterisk). In bold are those present in Salinas de Rambla Salada.
1310 Pioneer annual vegetation with Salicornia and other species from muddy or sandy areas.
1410 Mediterranean saline grasslands (Juncetalia maritimi)
1420 Mediterranean and Thermo-Atlantic halophilic shrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi)
1430 Halo-nitrophilous shrubs (Pegano-Salsoletea)
1510* Mediterranean salt steppes (Limoniettalia)
1520* Iberian gypsycola vegetation (Gypsophiletalia)
3280 Mediterranean rivers with permanent flow of the Paspalo-Agrostidion
5330 Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-steppe shrublands
6110* Alysso-Sedion albi chastic or basophilic calcareous meadows.
6220* Sub-steppe areas of grasses and annuals of Thero-Brachypdietea
8210 Limestone rocky slopes with casmophytic vegetation
8230 Siliceous rocks with pioneer vegetation of the Sedo-Sclerathion or the Sedo albi-Veronicion dillenii
92D0 Thermo-Mediterranean riparian galleries and shrubs (Nerio-Tamaricetea and Securinegion
tinctoriae)
Endemic species exclusive to the south and southeast: Ochthebius glaber and Ochthebius montesi.
Endemic species exclusive to the Iberian Peninsula: Nebrioporus baeticus, Ochthebius delgadoi and Ochthebius tudmirensis
Endemic species of Ibero-African distribution: Ochthebius auropallens, Ochthebius corrugatus, Ochthebius cuprescens, Ochthebius grandipennis, Laccobius grácilis intermitens, Ochthebius dilatatus, Ochthebius maculatus and
Ochthebius tacapasensis baeticus.
Mediterranean disjunction, present only in southern Italy and in the Iberian southeast: Enochrus falcarius.
Species whose southern limit of distribution (i.e. they are not found further north) is the Iberian southeast: Hydroglyphus signatellus and Herophydrus múscicus.
Among the terrestrial beetles, the endemic tiger beetle Cephalota (Taenidia) stands out
of steppes and salt marshes of the Iberian southeast.
Among the arachnids, the recent discovery of 11 hitherto unknown taxa stands out, of which Xerolycosa morisca has been classified and Nemesia nunezi has been proposed. These taxa are exclusively distributed in the Rambla Salada and Rambla de Ajauque riverbeds.
Since 2008, the La Carraca association has been organizing monthly activities consisting of hiking trails, bird census, scientific bird ringing, restoration of salt flats and salt harvesting. Between five and ten volunteers participate annually. In addition, La Carraca has a collaboration agreement with the
Volunteer Program of the University of Murcia, for the development of information actions for the public.
Since 2012, educational programming has been offered to primary and secondary schools with workshops on salt density, invertebrate classification, clay modelling and salt harvesting. Between three and ten schools participate annually, selecting one or two courses of up to 25 to 50 students.
In the Nature classroom, there are didactic support materials for the development of workshops. Permanent exhibit material is not available.
The Nature Classroom is located in the municipality of Fortuna, in the Region of Murcia. It is accessed from the MU-423 ROAD, at km.10.
Work Areas
Main CEPA work area
- Programming of Environmental Volunteering actions
- Interpretation of the archaeo-industrial heritage of the Salinas de Interior
- Active Environmental Education with Educational Centers
Top three successes
- Recovery of salt activity through environmental volunteering and declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest (protection figure).
- Improvement of the social perception of the environment of the Protected Landscape.
- Demonstration of the viability of Land Stewardship in the revitalization of protected natural areas.
Top three challenges
- Although very interesting objectives have been achieved, it has not been possible to make visible the personal effort of the volunteers and even today it is very difficult to satisfy very different personal expectations according to age, cultural level or origin (urban/rural).
- The complete restoration of the salt flats is blocked because it requires a technical document, the Master Plan, which also meets the strategic expectations of three different general directorates of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. It is a feasible challenge for the association but it requires the commission and trust of some of them, as well as funding and the commitment of its subsequent development.
- The schools in the environment know and value the didactic resources of the environment and the classroom, but a substantial improvement in the quality of care is necessary (safety, better observation systems, trained educators, water and toilets) and to ensure the activity of salt harvesting by the students.
Expertise
Interpretation techniques
Using audio-visual tools; Developing nature trails
Visitor centres
Managing / creating habitat; Building / maintaining structures
Participation
Engaging the local community; Working with volunteers
Education and communication
Working with primary schools; Working with secondary schools; Developing resources / materials
General
PR and marketing
Contact
Miguel Ángel Núñez Herrero
Calle del Pino 96 7⁰ A
30110 CABEZO DE TORRES
MURCIA
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