Wednesday 10 April, conference on drinking water and the overuse of plastic

10th April 2019 GOB Menorca

The consumption of bottled water is provoking a large increase in plastic waste. In our islands there are initiatives to change this tendency and it is very interesting to learn about them. This Wednesday, 10 April, there is a talk in Mahon organised by CleanWave, which promotes the installation of places for providing drinking water without plastic containers. The talk will be accompanied by showing the film “Out of Plastic” made in Mallorca. Continue reading Wednesday 10 April, conference on drinking water and the overuse of plastic →

The road and the government roundabouts

3rd April 2019 GOB Menorca

The subject of the half built bridges at Rafal Rubí and l’Argentina, on the section of the main road between Mahon and Alaior, reappears periodically as a reminder of the conflict which was generated during the last government term of office and has made a return during the last few days. In GOB’s opinion, the situation of paralysis which we see from the outside is based neither on the technical aspects nor on the will of the politicians. Continue reading The road and the government roundabouts →

Saturday workshop on garden pests and diseases

29th March 2019 GOB Menorca

This Saturday, 30 March, at GOB’s Es Viver, we will have a practical workshop on how to prevent and treat, in an ecological way, the pests and diseases of the garden and kitchen garden. What are the principal treatments, how to prevent and apply them, in order to keep gardens healthy. The workshop is open to all, is free and no reservations are required. Continue reading Saturday workshop on garden pests and diseases →

Proposals for the regional and local elections

26th March 2019 GOB Menorca

GOB Menorca has written a document addressed to the political parties that are running for the next elections to ask that their public pronouncements on more than a hundred proposals should be clearly presented in their electoral programs. Continue reading Proposals for the regional and local elections →

Fauna from Menorca: The Scopoli’s Shearwater

20th March 2019 GOB Menorca

The large Scopoli’s shearwater, after crossing the whole of the Atlantic, comes to breed each year in the Mediterranean islands. And, towards the end of October, at the Recuperation Centre for Wild Animals, we receive many calls from people telling us that they have found a baby sea gull on land, at the house, or in the street. When we tell them it is a shearwater and not a sea gull, they are stunned. So what is a shearwater? They are pelagic marine birds, meaning that they live in the open sea and only touch land to breed. In the Balearics there are two species, the Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus) and the much more abundant, large, Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea). Continue reading Fauna from Menorca: The Scopoli’s Shearwater →

Pledges to avoid disposable one use tableware

13th March 2019 GOB Menorca

Since the 1 February the following have pledged with GOB to give up using disposable plastic tableware: Amics del Museu de Menorca (Friends of the Museum of Menorca), Esplai de Jubilats de Ciutadella (Retired People’s Club in Ciutadella), Club de Jubilats d’Alaior (Retired People’s Club in Alaior), AMPS (Association of Mothers and Fathers) de Sa Graduada, Mahon, Fra Rotger, dedicated to the cultural value of gastronomy. Continue reading Pledges to avoid disposable one use tableware →

Explanation of the new Law on Rubbish Disposal on Tuesday 12 March

11th March 2019 GOB Menorca

What is the last date from which it will be prohibited to use disposable plastics? What percentage of beverage containers can be reused? What is the agenda for reducing the amount of waste going to the rubbish dump? What will be the role of the government and what role should the public take on? Continue reading Explanation of the new Law on Rubbish Disposal on Tuesday 12 March →

Fauna from Menorca: The Green Toad

9th March 2019 GOB Menorca

In Menorca we currently have two species of amphibians: the frog and the green toad. Another species of toad was introduced some fourteen years ago with aquatic plants for the garden. The frog and the green toad, also, are species that were introduced here but in ancient times. The remains of green toads have been found at talayotic sites. Another species which was already living in Menorca before the arrival of humans was the ferret, but it became extinct and is now found just in the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca. The habitats of green toads are found only in Corsica, Sardinia, the Italian Peninsula, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. Continue reading Fauna from Menorca: The Green Toad →

Sunday excursion to learn about plants

8th March 2019 GOB Menorca

Next Sunday, 10 March, we have organised a public excursion to learn about the plants of the Binicalaf road. This is the time of the year in which we begin to find many plants in flower, amongst them the orchids. The rural areas have an immense variety of flora which were better known and employed for different uses by country people. Continue reading Sunday excursion to learn about plants →

Fauna from Menorca: the hedgehog

4th March 2019 GOB Menorca

Hedgehogs are an important part of the ecosystem of Menorca. They are well known animals for their characteristic covering of needles. These spines are nothing more than hairs filled with keratin which stiffens them. The hedgehogs in Menorca are the smallest found in Europe. It is usually called the African hedgehog because it is native to north Africa. From there it spread along the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Malta, the Canaries and all the Balearic Islands. The oldest hedgehog remains found in Menorca date from the 13^th century (Morales and Rofes, 2008), from which it is surmised that it was the Almohads who introduced them, and it is documented that the hedgehog was appreciated both for food and for being used for medical purposes. Continue reading Fauna from Menorca: the hedgehog →

Conscientious Ecology