Today on the island, the non-profit group Ecopilas led collections of used batteries at three primary schools. The idea of the campaign was to impress upon children the importance of recycling what amount to hazardous materials. Ecopilas' president José Pérez also seized on the opportunity to familiarise the students with battery disposal bins. He said the goal was to see proper disposal of batteries increase on the island.

CiF councillors Daisee Aguilera of the environment office and Jordi Vidal of sports were both on hand when kids at Mestre Lluís Andreu primary school had their session. Councillor Aguilera drove home the importance of pushing for environmental awareness from a young age, a value she said was also apparent in past beach cleaning campaigns which received help from schools.

The Ecopilas foundation is a sponsor of the Formentera Half Marathon. Tomorrow, they are asking runners to bring their used batteries to the race. Councillor Vidal thanked the foundation for its support of the marathon and reminded residents that the school battery collections were part of Esport és +, an ongoing initiative to promote the positive values inherent in sports.

At eight yesterday evening in the Casa del Poble community centre of la Mola, Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer, environment councillor Daisee Aguilera and the regional minister of the Govern Balear, Vicenç Vidal, met to unveil information on a new push to control numbers of snakes on the island, a joint campaign led by the CiF and the administration in Palma.

According to Councillor Aguilera, since April 29 eighteen cages built by students at Eivissa's school of art and artisanry have been set up around the island. With 20 snakes nabbed, Aguilera assured the traps were already proving their worth. Another five traps will be installed today, though if necessary that number could increase to 100. Aguilera indicated that so far efforts have focused on la Mola, the most affected area on the island, but said other traps would be laid elsewhere to establish the full scope of the snakes' spread. She enlisted the entire island to help keep numbers under control, directing residents who see snakes to “report it to the Office of Environment.”

As Minister Vidal pointed out, this species of snakes is invasive on Formentera and, in his words, “a threat to our local biodiversity”. Nevertheless, he assured residents there was no reason to panic. According to Vidal, the species targeted —Rhinechis scalaris—, “poses no threat to people.” As a problem affecting both Formentera and Eivissa, the climbing snake numbers received the attention of the Govern Balear, which is leading the current charge. The officials also identified another objective: preventing the arrival of new snakes, which generally come as stowaways on ornamental olive trees shipped from the mainland.

The Formentera Council's Office of Environment has announced that till May 31 it will remove derelict vehicles at no charge. The Council, together with the concessionaire at the vehicle disposal plant, Ca Na Negreta, is running a campaign to collect abandoned cars, motorcycles and scooters abandoned on private property.

“The aim of the initiative is to protect Formentera's natural beauty and enhance our local landscapes,” says Daisee Aguilera, councillor of environment of the CiF, “not only does removing these derelict vehicles contribute to a more beautiful countryside, but it reduces the risk of contaminating the soil where cars are abandoned.”

From May 2 to 31, Formentera residents can request for left vehicles to be removed from private property. Three removal options exist. If the person requesting removal is both the vehicle owner and landowner where the vehicle currently sits, a formal request must be made including proof of land ownership (notarised copy of title, property tax records, proof of waste collection tax payment, etc) and written consent for Council to access it.

If the applicant is the owner of vehicle, but not of the land where vehicle sits, he or she must present a formal request of removal including vehicle description and, preferably, consent from the property owner where the vehicle is parked. The documents must be accompanied by proof of land ownership (notarised copy of title, property tax records, proof of waste collection tax payment, etc). If applicant is the landowner where the vehicle currently sits, but does not own the vehicle, he or she must present a formal request of removal including proof of land ownership (notarised copy of title, property tax records, proof of waste collection tax payment, etc). When possible, applicants should provide identification and proof of vehicle owner's consent.

If vehicle owner cannot be contacted, removal proceedings can still carried out, though processing time will be longer and depend on various factors. For more information, contact the Office of Environment of the Formentera Council.

Councillor Aguilera reported that after May 31, proceedings will be brought against owners of abandoned vehicles, which can lead to fines of up to 3,000 euros.

Earlier today the Office of Environment of the Formentera Council reported on the progress to date of efforts to control the spread of the processionary pine caterpillar, an invasive pest which has particularly affected the area of Es Cap de Barbaria. According to CiF environment councillor Daisee Aguilera, “approximately 12,000 caterpillar nests were removed in autumn and winter 2015-2016.” Aguilera lauded the efforts of outside workers contracted by the Council, volunteers and IBANAT staff, calling them an “instrumental part” of the response.

As Aguilera pointed out, of 12,000 nests removed, more than 4,000 were empty, 6,000 were full and 1,900 were destroyed by rifle shots. For normal nest removal the Council relied on two outside specialists, Govern Balear-employed staff of IBANAT and local volunteers and property owners. According to the councillor, the administration had the additional help of hunters in the Es Cap de Barbaria area, who were tasked with shooting down out of reach nests.

The goal behind the efforts is to stem the spread of the caterpillar in those areas where infestation is most pronounced. Officials have determined the hardest-hit area to be the former agritourism site in Es Cap de Barbaria, in the north northwest part of the island. Nevertheless, a recent study by the environmental office indicates the pest has turned up in places from la Mola to the Ses Salines national park.

The councillor said warm winter temperatures were the primary cause for the caterpillar’s continued spread. What is more, she announced that in the future the Council’s response would include more workers and an expanded area of focus. According to Aguilera, the Council will soon tap the appropriate arms of the Palma government to request a plan of action.