Dune Sponsorship

• El Pinillo /IES Bahía Marbella
• Palm Beach-Río Real / IES Sierra Blanca
• La Adelfa-Bahía de Marbella / ECOS Attendis
• El Alicate-El Alicate / IES Guadalpín
• El Barronal-El Rosario / Colegio Alborán
• El Arenal-Costabella / IES Salduba
• Real de Zaragoza-tramo 1 / ASPANDEM
• Real de Zaragoza-tramo 2 / IES Dunas de las Chapas
• Real de Zaragoza-tramo 3 / IES Profesor Pablo del Saz
• Real de Zaragoza-tramo 4 / Ceip Juan Ramón Jiménez
• Real de Zaragoza-tramo 4 / Ceip Valdeolletas
• La Víbora-Elviria / English International College
• La Víbora-Elviria / Colegio Platero
• Las Golondrinas-Elviria / Colegio Alemán

The IES Bahía Marbella Junior School is now the sponsor of the Pinillo dune environment. This dune is situated between the Segundo stream and the Opium Beach Club, close to the Marbella arch. This dune is in the recovery and rehabilitation phase in preparation for its future incorporation into the Ecological Reserve – Dunas de Marbella after the necessary application process.

The El Pinillo dune is just getting started. It is still a mobile dune, which as its name suggests is in its displacement phase. As the dune vegetation develops and consolidates over time it will become stabile. However, right now the ecosystem is dominated by foreign invasive species that could take over from the native flora and not leave any natural habitat for their development.

This is why the ProDunas Marbella Association proposes and encourages the IES Bahía Marbella to carry out, together with the Association, a maintenance and conservation program, planned carefully to guarantee the satisfactory evolution of this dune environment, taking into account its relevant location. The El Pinillo dune is located in a privileged area where it will easily catch the eye of passers-by, since to the north there is the slope (Protection Easement) and to the south a wide beach. The Coastal Path must protect this embryonic dune and make sure there is no trampling by passers-by. All motor vehicles must be prevented at all costs from getting into the area.

After all the foreign invasive species to the east and west of this embryonic dune have been eradicated, conservationist reforestation can be scheduled. Only species native to this dune environment will be used. These plants and shrubs are: Wild olive (Olea europaea var sylvestris), Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus), Sabina (Juniperus turbinata) etc.

The IES Bahía Marbella schoolchildren will be trained appropriately by the biology teachers from the Institute and by the ProDunas Marbella Association so they can learn first-hand what a dune system is, what it is made up of and how to protect it properly.

The Secondary School Sierra Blanca in Marbella has sponsored this dunearea which lies between the Rio Real stream and the Palm BeachChiringuito They have the challenge of looking after a dune area which has undergone in depth, mechanical grubbing to remove the immense amount of Golden Wreath (Acacia saligna) and Giant Reed (Arundo donax). The subsoil will take years to recover from the terrible degradation inflicted onit so it will take it longer than other areas we have worked on to show off its floral beauty.

The Directors of our Association made a video presentation to the students in the Sierra Blanca Secondary School to raise their awareness of the flora and small fauna inhabiting these dunes. They have already taken part in 2 reforestation programs with native shrub flora in “their dune” and volunteer Members of Pro Dunas are caring for the young plants by watering them by hand until they get established and send out roots.

On a walk through their dune and towards the “ADELFA” dune area in Bahia de Marbella, the Biology and Geology teachers have brought these students close to the floral morphology through ‘in situ’ didactic teaching.

Year 2013. The ECOS-Attendis School in Elviria has the privilege of sponsoring the first dune which Pro Dunas began saving in 2004. This beautiful dune is 1 km long. Native vegetation is already developing independently after several reforestations with native shrubs and many eradication procedures of the invasive exotic plants such as Highway Ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis) were carried out. All these activities were organised by Pro Dunas.

The students in 2nd year of the Secondary School ESO program got repeated hands-on knowledge of the flora and fauna of the dune and they will continue to maintain it every year from now on.

The Marbella IES GUADALPIN Secondary School is now the sponsor of the beautiful EL ALICATE dune. Although it is small in extension, it supports an interesting variety of native shrubs. This is a new experience for the children from this Secondary School. They have just reforested a substantial area of the dune.

 There is still a lot of work to be done and we depend on annual help from the schoolchildren until all the Giant Reeds that have thrived for many years in this beautiful dune have been eradicated – not an easy job!

Working like this on the dune, the schoolchildren will get to know dune vegetation and learn how to conserve it – starting with this dune environment.

The Alboran College, situated in the heart of a mediterranean forest in Las Chapas-Elviria, is sponsoring – with enthusiasm, pride and satisfaction – the dune area known as “El Barronal de la Morena” in El Rosario-Las Chapas. Respect for the environment is one of the main pillars on which the school is based. It has a small farm area with chickens, rabbits, goats, cows, horses, ponies, etc and an organic garden where students can observe and take care of the crops they themselves planted. In this fertile environment, students can develop and work in harmony with nature.

Students in 1^st and 2^nd year of Secondary school work with us to eradicate the invasive species in the dunes, especially Highway Ice Plant (Carpobrotus edulis) and to remove waste and inorganic debris mostly left behind by holidaymakers. This task has an important educational content. The generation involved in this project will be very much more aware of their surroundings. This is essential for the sustainable development of the area, both in the aspects directly touching on nature, as well as on the socioeconomic ones.

The Secondary School IES SALDUBA from San Pedro Alcántara (Marbella) has sponsored one of the dune areas, half a kilometer long, in the “El Arenal” dune area in El Arenal-Costabella. At the foot of the dune an information panel with the logo of the school has been placed as an incentive.

To encourage participation by this school, Pro Dunas made a video presentation on the dune ecosystem. 4 classes of 1st + 2^nd Years of the Secondary School (ESO) carried out restoration work on the sponsoredarea of the dune environment. During the first year they focused on the eradication of invasive exotic species such as Cat’s Claw (Carpobrotus edulis). By doing this work, the students made contact with the natural environment, they learned what a dune is and they had a good time!

It is an honour for us that the ASPANDEM organisation, San Pedro Alcántara, wants to be part of the initiative launched by our Association.

This sponsorship means that they will take over 0,5km  of the dunes, between the Beach Restaurants “Siroko” and  the “Aquí te queremos ver”.

We urge that all young people with disabilities could have the opportunity to get close to nature in the dunes and could feel themselves to be part of it, thus developing auditory, olfactory, visual and tactile senses by being in contact with the flora, the sand and the sea.

An informative panel with the logo of their School can be found at the base of the dune.

The Secondary School DUNAS DE LA CHAPAS in Elviria has taken on the sponsorship of a really beautiful dune environment of approx. 1 km in length. It is a dune area with an enormous capacity for plant growth but is currently very degraded because of being used as a public transit area.

The students have a big job ahead of them to eradicate the Highway Ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis) that in one large area has taken over. In 2014they already eradicated a lot of these invasive alien species and they will soon be able to reforest the dune with native shrubs.

An information panel with the logo of their school has been placed at the foot of the dune.

The PROFESSOR PABLO DEL SAZ in Marbella is now sponsoring a stretch of the beautiful dune area “Real de Zaragoza” in Las Chapas-Elviria. It is 0.5km long. The informative Panel at the foot of the dune will have the school logo on it to encourage the children and let everyone know what they are doing.

To get the 4 Primary classes in the junior school interested and eager to take part, Pro Dunas showed the 112 students a video and gave them a short lecture to introduce them to the different dune ecosystems.

In a day of environmental activity they will get up close with the eradication of the invasive alien species Highway Ice Plant (Carpobrotus edulis) and take personal contact with the vegetation in the dune they are sponsoring.

The CEIP JUAN RAMÓN JIMÉNEZ in Marbella is now sponsoring a stretch of the beautiful dune area “Real de Zaragoza” in Las Chapas-Elviria. It is about 0.5km long.

To get started, Pro Dunas made a Power Point presentation to the schoolchildren to introduce them to the different dune ecosystems in the Ecological Reserve-Dunas de Marbella in the municipality of Marbella.

The informative Panel at the foot of the dune will have the school logo on it to encourage the children and let everyone know what they are doing.

The CEIP VALDEOLLETAS in Marbella is now sponsoring a stretch of the beautiful dune area “Real de Zaragoza” in Las Chapas-Elviria. It is about 500m long. The informative Panel at the foot of the dune will have the school logo on it to encourage the children and let everyone know what they are doing.

With a lecture on environmental issues and during a day of environmental activity they will get up close with the eradication of the invasive alien species Highway Ice Plant (Carpobrotus edulis) and take personal contact with the vegetation in the dune they are sponsoring.

The English International College has fallen for the beautiful dune environment that lies between the Beach House and Perla Blanca beach Restaurants.

Its sponsorship by schoolchildren means a new experience for these students that will enable them to get to know the flora and dune geomorphology in depth.

3 classes will be responsible for its maintenance and the elimination of Highway Ice plant (Carpotrotus edulis) in “their” dune.

An informative panel with the logo of the English International College will be placed at foot of the dune.

The CEIP PLATERO School in Las Chapas-Elviria (Marbella) has sponsored the “La Víbora” dune area in Elviria-Las Chapas. It is 1 km long. The information panel that has been installed at the foot of the dune contains the logo of the school as an incentive for the students.

To encourage participation by this school, Pro Dunas made a video presentation to 3 classes in the Primary Section to bring them closer to the dune ecosystem. Over several days 120 students came into contact for the first time with their sponsored dune. They took part happily and energetically in the eradication of the invasive alien species Cat’s claw (Carpobrotus edulis) and organised a major garbage collection in the dunes.

The German School has sponsored this extensive dune area, which is 5m above sea level and lies between the Beach RestaurantsEL LAUREL and LOS TONY’S in Las Chapas-Elviria.

The GPS Group has registered for the dunes sponsorship program and Pro Dunas introduced them to the dune system by means of a video presentation. They got into the eradication of the invasive exotic Cat’s Claw (Carpobrotus edulis) happily and actively.

The participants can expect a lot of work in their dune area:
– Maintenance of the dune
– Garbage collection in the dune
– Eradication days
– Reforestation with native shrubs

Colegio Alemán