Protecting the shearwaters, natural heritage and emblem of Tenerife
Hotel Suite Villa María not only aspires to offer unique experiences to our clients, but we also aim to behave responsibly and in a way that respects our environment, our flora and fauna, and our environment. It is important to ensure the impact of our activities and to foster an awareness of sustainability.
Hotel Suite Villa María not only aspires to offer unique experiences to our clients, but we also aim to behave responsibly and in a way that respects our environment, our flora and fauna, and our environment. It is important to ensure the impact of our activities and to foster an awareness of sustainability.
Hotel Suite Villa María is located in a privileged natural enclave in the geography of southern Tenerife. Between the sea and the mountains, its location is found within an area of incalculable natural beauty and value. Without their care, we would lose one of the great assets of our territory, the marine environment, catalogued largely as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Area of Protection for Birds (SPAA).
For this reason, our establishment has recently supported the Cinderella Shearwater protection campaign that appears in the Red Book of Spanish Birds as Vulnerable and, in the National Catalogue of Threatened Species, as “of special interest”. They mate in the Canary Islands and are a natural emblem of the area. They are the most abundant seabird. They only go to the coast to mate. They mate in cliffs, ravines, and mid-altitude areas.
Between October and November, they leave the nest, following their biological cycle. The young birds, on their first flight to the sea, are dazzled by the light from coastal developments and fall to the ground, disoriented. It is therefore important to invest the necessary efforts to protect this endangered species and contribute to its conservation.
During the mating season of the Cinderella Shearwater, Santiago de Teide, Puerto de la Cruz, and above all Arona and Adeje are the municipalities where most falls are recorded of this species, due, to a large extent, to the excess of light in tourist areas.
For this reason, Excelencia Turística de Tenerife, the Environment department, and the Tourism Board of the City Council of Arona and the Wildlife Recovery Centre of the Environment Department of the Cabildo de Tenerife are currently carrying out a “2017 Campaign to collect young shearwater”. This campaign has included a training campaign to raise awareness in the hotel sector, in which we wanted to participate.
The aim of this initiative is to make known the values and threats of this species and to actively involve hotel staff in its recovery, as well as to provide information regarding the action protocol. At the end of the training, the first specimens of this species rescued at the beginning of the season were released.
The Shearwater collection season began on the 23rd of October and will last approximately one month, coinciding with the season in which these birds arrive on our coasts to nest.
During the campaign, the intensity of night lighting in shopping areas will also be reduced and sports facilities will be turned off from 10.00 p.m.
How to act
If you find a wounded shearwater or on the ground, put it in a ventilated box, and do not give it anything to eat or drink. Call 112 or 922 44 57 77 (phone number of the La Tahonilla Wildlife Recovery Centre) as soon as possible, who will give you advise regarding the point of delivery of the bird or sending someone to pick it up. You can also deliver the sea bird directly to the Policía Local [Local Police] or to Protección Civil [Civil Protection].
The Cinderella Shearwater is an excellent indicator of the state of our seas and coastline. Together we can ensure that it remains part of our valuable natural heritage. At Hotel Suite Villa María, we are getting behind this great initiative. We want to help them find their way again! How about you?
Categories: Novedades Villa María