Murcia, Spain
City population: 442801
Duration: 2012 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: 30000 m2
Type of area: Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: April 2022

There have been different activities throughout the time to recover and improve the Malecon Botanical Garden. In 2012, the main activity was to recover the Malecon Botanical Garden by introducing a collection of Mediterranean species and of other ethnobotanicals plants and delivering some other environmental services to the location (Ref 1). In 2019, there were different works to rehabilitate the Garden for the September Fair, and also some other plans to create a cultural and artistic space within the Garden (Ref 10 and 11). The project has completed its first stage, but there is an ongoing number of initiatives to rehabilitate and improve the garden (Ref 9 and 10). Regarding the status of the project, the first stage has been completed, but an ongoing initiative to rehabilitate and improve the garden is taking place (Ref 9 and 10).

Volunteer activity in the botanical garden
Volunteer activity in the botanical garden
Source: https://www.um.es/eubacteria/jardin_botanico.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Community gardens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Botanical gardens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Project objectives

Recover the Botanical Garden by making different activities in the site: -Promotion of botanic technique, its teachings and divulgation. -Protection of the botanical heritage at the Malecon Garden and other natural and garden spaces in the city, municipality, and region. -Design of actions/ teaching to rend conscious the citizens about the necessity of being respectful with the public and the natural environment, as spaces of healthy living. -Diffusion of knowledge of the vegetal diversity of the region and other places in the planet. (ref 1)

Implementation activities

As one of the oldest gardens in the city, there have been different stages of recovery and development of the place that date back to 19th century (ref 3). The last aims of the project specifically include the following activities: - Preparation of the parcels for the plot dedicated to ethnobotanics. - A plot dedicated to creating a collection of shrubs native to the region and representative of the region of Murcia (Ref 1). As parallel activities the project, promotion and organization of various activities including botanical routes, excursions, gardening workshops, botanical courses, floral contests and exhibitions. (ref 1) In 2016, first attempt in Murcia to plant (garbancillo de Tallante) – with 4 samples planted and 5 others planted the next year. (ref 2) In 2019, there is also other cultural events promoted in the garden.

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
  • Raise public awareness
  • Public engagement
  • Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore native species
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Researchers/University
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Citizens or community group
  • Researchers/university

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
  • Co-management/Joint management

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Friends of the Malecon Garden Volunteer group maintain the conditions of the garden, the LIFE Project at the Politcnic University of Cartagena receives samples from the garden for research, and the Murcia City Government provided the terrain for the botanic gardenand the infrastructure for its upkeep and education. (ref 1)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (Implemented under the EU LIFE programme (ref 2).)
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Supported by the General Direction of Natural Envirnment (Plan) (Direccion General del Medio Ambiente) of the Water and Agricultural Council. (ref 3) )

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
  • Provision of goods
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increase in protected green space areas
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature
  • Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Amigos del Jardin Botanico de Murcia. (n.d.). Jardin Botanico de Murcia: Colección de Especies Mediterraneas. Available at: Source link (Accessed 15/July/2020)
2. LIFE Garbacillo Blog. (2016). El garbancillo ‘conquista’ el Jardin Botanico del Malecon. Available at: Source link (Accessed 15/July/2020)
3. Lopez Espinosa, Jose Antonio. (2015). En EL Jaridn del Malecon. Available at: Source link (Accessed 15/July/2020)
4. Sanchez de Lorenzo-Caceres. (2011). El Jardin del Malecon. Available at: Source link (Accessed 15/July/2020)
5. Ayuntamiento de Murcia. (2012). La Oficina Verde inicia el proyecto de mantenimiento de parterres del Jardín del Malecón. Available at: Source link (Accessed 15/July/2020)
6. Murcia Enclave Ambiental. (2011). Jardínes históricos. El jardín del Malecón de la ciudad de Murcia. Murcia: Murcia Enclave Ambiental. Available at: Source link. (Accessed 16/July/2020).
7. La CróSource link. Historias y paisajes de la Región de Murcia: Jardín y Paseo del Malecón. Murcia: La Crónica de Murcia. Available at: Source link (Accessed 16/July/2020).
8. Región de Murcia (n.d.). Recorrido Histórico del Paseo. Murcia: Region de Murcia. Available at: Source link (Accessed 16/July/2020).
9. Montesinos, M.J. (2020). El Jardín del Malecón se engalana para la Feria de Septiembre. 24 de Agosto. Murcia: La Verdad. Available at: Source link (Accessed 3 August 2020).
10. Murcia (2020). El jardín del Malecón contará por vez primera ocn un espacio para el arte y la cultura durante la Feria de Murcia. Murcia: Murcia. Available at: Source link (Accessed 3 August 2020).
11. Ayuntamiento de Murcia. (2014). Noticias del año 2014. Murcia: Ayuntamiento de Murcia. Available at: Source link (Accessed 3 August 2020).
Volunteer activity in the botanical garden
Volunteer activity in the botanical garden
Source: https://www.um.es/eubacteria/jardin_botanico.html