Community land recovery project and indigenous forest in Bergara
- As a result of the pandemic, more and more people are acquiring the habit of accessing the nearby mountains and it seems that the opportunity is also being given to reflect on the situation of our forests. “The disease of pine has destroyed or left these trees in very poor condition, and many of them have been removed with the felling of the rasa that is common here,” explained Ainhoa Agirrebeña Zabala of the Kukubaso association of Bergara. Precisely, a group of citizens concerned about the situation of the area’s forests decided to meet in 2021 to defend different forest management and recover communal land.
Land ownership is closely related to the forest management model, and in the case of Bergara this relationship is also clear. “We have many small plots, but in total the public lands are less than 2% of the land of the village,” explains Agirrebeña. For this reason, they consider it necessary to recover the communal lands for the defense of the native forest. But what are we talking about when we talk about recovering the native forest? Kukubaso's colleague explains one thing: “Many times we automatically relate it to plantations, but it doesn’t have to be that way, because sometimes the process starts by letting nature do its job.”
Over the course of a year, the Kukubaso company has taken over the management of several lands through assignments, including 2.1 hectares granted by members of the Agirretxeberri village. Plantations have been made in several plots, in auzolan, mainly of maple and oak, but also of acebo, ash, birch and a tooth. “Looking to the future, we want to introduce art on this plot, where years ago there was a oak tree,” adds the colleague. The group has been in collaboration with the Bergara City Council since its inception and in recent weeks a call has been made for the purchase of communal lands.
The importance of pedagogy
“From the partnership we also attach great importance to the field of pedagogy, both for children and adults,” explains Agirrebeña. They work in this field through presentations, talks, etc., but also from a practical point of view. “The area where we made our first plantation is very flat and is able to walk through the village, so we made an appeal to go with the children. It was a great success.” Interesting work, bearing in mind that they will be responsible for the conservation and maintenance in the future of these forests currently in the process of recovery.
Gradually, and taking small steps, the Kukubaso association is expanding a new way of thinking and acting in Bergara, along with similar projects that have been developed elsewhere in the Basque Country. “Getting closer to the owners is more difficult, because we have a lifetime of management and a way of working, but, in general, we feel that people’s welcome is being very good and there is concern,” he concluded.
