Room 5

The creation of the School of Forest Engineers in 1846 was the first stepping stone towards the protection and regeneration of the Spanish mountains.

In subsequent decades, the necessary legal framework for their protection was developed. On the 7th December, 1895, a Royal Decree was published establishing the need for reforestation of mobile dunes that could cause damage to crops and villages.

These works were possible thanks to the creation in 1888 of the Hydrological-Forest Divisions. The most emblematic intervention of the 3rd Division (Segura basin), was carried out in Sierra Espuña (Murcia) and was designed by Ricardo Codorníu.

The planting of 600,000 trees, the opening of 8 km of paths between the dunes, the construction of wells, nurseries and the subsequent care of all this, was a huge work, carried out jointly by the residents of Guardamar and the official bodies of the time.

All of them working in coordination for more than 40 years managed to create the current landscape of the dunes and saved the town from being buried under the sand.

“The town of Guardamar has been fighting for its existence since its foundation: initially against the attacks of the conquerors; later against earthquakes, and now against the invasion of the sands ”.

Francisco Mira Botella, 1903.