2 Since the occupation of the Vitorian district of Errekaleor in 013, the members of the project have taken into account the theme of agroecology and land cultivation. The project was launched soon, for example, the community orchard, which would later be opened to the people of Vitoria beyond the neighbours of Errekaleor. Now they come with a new project: recovering an autochthonous forest. On March 10, the first planting of trees was carried out.

Recovering the forest, fighting speculation

“In the Alavesa Plain there are the forest islands, where the jigsaw predominates. Our intention is to create the jigal here too,” said Unaitxu, a member of the Errekaleor Forest Brigade. In the first plantation, 160 trees have been introduced, including the aforementioned bladders, white thorns and strawberries.

According to the project member, the forest recovery project has a twofold objective: firstly, to maintain a closer relationship with nature. They use an agro-ecological approach to plantations. But, on the other hand, considering that the area in which the plantations are being carried out is that of Caja Vital, the objective of the impellers is also to anticipate the speculative movements that may exist in the plot. “We also raise the contradiction between the system and the institutions: The green ring of Vitoria-Gasteiz passes through Errekaleor, but there’s really nothing green here,” said the colleague.

Caring for the environment to improve the quality of life

In Errekaleor, to the north, the forest has begun to recover on a plot very close to the last homes. This year’s plantation has been a pilot project, but the following year more plantations will continue and the call will open. Unaitxu is clear that the regeneration of the forest will be a step forward in the quality of life of Errekaleor’s neighbours. “The Errekaleor environment is not in the best position: everything is very degraded and we want to turn it around.”

Like the housing units in the neighborhood, project members also attach importance to the care of the environment. Therefore, in coordination with the forestry working group, two other projects have been launched: the Errekaleor stream that gives name to the project passes through the south of the neighborhood and work is being done to clean it. They also have the third environmental leg in place: “We were given many fruit trees and we started planting them in a large piece of field near the neighborhood. In total there will be about 200 trees. Something like an edible forest is what we are creating in this area.”