Preservation Measures

 The demolition of Hotel Dunas and Heliotherapy Centre 

The 5th of June 1989, on the World Environment Day (Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente), the Hotel Dunas was demolished because it was on the sand and close to La Charca. This was a very important step in order to preserve the Special Nature Reserve. After, the Heliotherapy Centre was demolished because it was inside the Reserve. These acts were the first but not the only ones in order to preserve the environment.

 The demolition of the roads 

During the nineties some roads which were inside the Reserve were demolished. This measure made planning of the public use easier and has improved the preservation of the natural resources.

 The restoration of La Charca surroundings 

A lot of rubble and other material was removed from the Reserve. The vegetation was improved in the surroundings. Four years later the landscape was better, and the movement of the dunes was restored in this area.

 Signposting of the Reserve 

The Reserve is marked with information, so if you go anywhere inside it you will find information about where you are, the Reserve, the approaches and the paths, etc. You can also find signs with information about the flora and fauna, and how to interact with it. All these signs are in English, German and Spanish due to the large numbers of tourists visiting them.

 The re-introduction of halophytes 

The halophyte (Limonium tuberculatum) became extinct in the sixties in the surrounding area of La Charca. The efforts to reintroduce it were a success and nowadays you can see more than 300. The first specimens were taken by the staff of the Viera y Clavijo Botanical Garden before it became extinct.

 Marked paths 

There are more than hundred posts all over the five paths of the Reserve; each path has a different colour. There are also information signs on the paths. In 2004 all the posts were replaced by new ones.

 Control of introduced predators 

Every year there is a campaign to control the predators introduced by humans. These predators attack the local fauna, especially the birds which nest in the area surrounding La Charca. The rat population is also closely controlled in the palm area.

 Botanical Garden 

During 2004 a garden was planted in front of the Interpretation Centre. It is a place between the developed area and the Reserve, where you can find the most important plants of the Reserve.

 The cleaning of the Reserve 

A lot of people visit the Reserve during the year (an average of 20,000 per day), it has undesirable effects like rubbish. So the Reserve is periodically cleaned, especially the course of the gully of Maspalomas and La Charca.

 The replacement of invading flora 

The Reserve has a dozen invading plants, and these plants replace the native plants. During 2004 we started a plan to eliminate the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) and Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.).

 Restoration of the bat habitat 

The palms have been ringed, so rats can not climb up. Also there are nesting boxes installed in the palms to help the bats reform colonies. These mammals were once common in Maspalomas.