Housing and tourist pressure, two related problems

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Access to housing has become a problem in recent years in Menorca. Addressing this important social challenge is an increasingly urgent need, and data and reflection are required to take steps in the right direction.

In this note, based on official data, some of the variables most closely related to the situation are analyzed.

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The kind nature

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The rains are watering these days an island that looked thirsty. The water is very welcome for many of the seeds that were lying dormant, waiting for enough miraculous liquid. Now the greens of the grasses will burst forth, and the fauna will be able to feed.

The incipient autumn is giving us this year curtains of water combined with the full clarity of the star. Days when the colours of the magic arc adorn the sky, and the combination makes it very understandable that ancient peoples sought explanations for such a surprising phenomenon of beauty.

With the beginning of the new season, the birds also arrive that leave behind the cold of the north. One of the best knowns is a round, curious, and beautiful little bird, which very rightly symbolizes the kindness of nature. Whoever meets a robin these days and shows a calm attitude will see a little animal that seems to want to establish a relationship of friendship.

Those years when the traps would catch them by the thousands are behind. The metallic device was half buried and only the worm remained outside—alive and trapped between tiny irons—moving all the time in an attempt to escape. The robins were among the first to arrive and died from the blow of the spring. Generally, they were captured much more abundantly than thrushes.

For a long time now, these traps have been prohibited, the forests have regained extension compared to the mid-twentieth century, and the robins have a less risky life. Whether by naivety or by gratitude, they are birds that tend to approach humans.

The forests are also denser now than before. The charcoal burners no longer remove the shrubs to make the quick fire that the lime kilns required, nor the trunks that they converted into charcoal on the piles. The recovery of more rustic livestock, such as the red cow, increasingly abundant on the island, could be a good resource to graze some forest areas again and transform biomass into meat, while taking advantage of the shade, reducing the risk of fire, and improving soil composition.

The robin benefits from the presence of livestock. The excrements of mammals end up generating worms, beetles, and other little animals, which provide the necessary protein for these birds. Although it also eats wild fruits, such as mastic or wild olive, which will soon reach the point of ripeness to be consumed.

The cordial attitude of the robin, with a chubby appearance because it separates its feathers slightly in order to increase the hot air that surrounds it, can help us look at the world with kinder eyes. Such a small bird may seem like little, but some have crossed all of Europe, from the North Sea or from the warlike east. They have seen very different landscapes, they have evaded predators, and perhaps they have seen refugees and pain.

Now they are in Menorca, and we have the opportunity to treat them well. Especially, it is important to avoid poisoning their food with insecticides. Hopefully, the idea of spraying the forests in the coming months will be abandoned, with the biological catastrophe that this would imply.

Reaching out to nature, prospecting and trying to understand the relationships that occur there, and seeking to favour it instead of preying on it, is one of the best opportunities to generate a better world.

GOB calls for transparency in the Territorial Plan

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Last week, a round table on the Island Territorial Plan was held at the Ateneu de Maó. The two rooms of the venue were filled. The event was recorded, and the session has already exceeded a thousand views.

These figures show the great public interest generated by the attempt to make a punctual modification of this instrument, which is one of the main foundations of Menorca’s distinctive model.

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“Learning from nature, caring for the future”, new environmental education course

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GOB Menorca begins the 2025-2026 school year with the motto “Learning from nature, caring for the future”. The new environmental education proposal, aimed at all the island’s schools, has a clear goal: to bring nature into classrooms and, above all, to bring students closer to the territory so they can learn directly from it.

The program, which includes workshops, excursions and hands-on activities, adapts to each educational stage and seeks to awaken curiosity, critical thinking and commitment to sustainability..

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October 11 – II Regenerative Aquaculture Seminar

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Climate change and the need to preserve the coastline compel us to find resilient and sustainable alternatives. The Regenerative Aquaculture Seminar returns in 2025 to continue raising these questions and how to address them in a place such as Menorca.

What is regenerative aquaculture? Are there precedents of this activity in Menorca? Is it possible to make marine activity compatible with a sustainable model? The second edition of the Aquaculture Seminar will address these and other questions, with the participation of experts and professionals in the sector to share knowledge, experiences, and proposals that may help define the future of coastal management that is more respectful of marine ecosystems and society.

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GOB children’s and youth naturalist group faces a new course full of activities. 

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GOB Menorca starts a new course of the naturalist group for children and young people between 7 and 15 years old, continuing an initiative that last year had an excellent reception from families and participants. The experience has shown the need and interest in offering educational and leisure spaces in contact with nature, and this year the program is reinforced with 8 monthly outings that will take place between October and May, on the third Sunday of each month.

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GOB unveils a mural by urban artist Anna Repullo at the Molí del Rei headquarters

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This September, GOB Menorca has unveiled at its headquarters a mural by urban artist Anna Repullo Vique. The artwork, which decorates the inner courtyard entrance of Molí del Rei, is a visual perspective on the history and work of the environmental organisation. It directly conveys to visitors both the historic struggle of the organisation and of Menorcan society in defence of the natural environment, as well as its current work in the face of the challenges that the island is experiencing today, in a context of environmental crisis and increasing tourist saturation.

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Come to the Island Territorial Plan plenary session on Monday, September 15th, at 10 am

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Next Monday, September 15th, an extraordinary plenary session on the Island Territorial Plan will be held at the Island Council of Menorca. At 10 in the morning. Everyone who is concerned about the future of the island and is available at that time should attend the hall in Biosfera square, Maó.

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Conscientious Ecology