The regional government delegation in León has highlighted the work of the CEIP Emilia Menéndez school for its commitment to sustainability through a reforestation project seed bombs developed in conjunction with the Bierzo Renace association.
This public school of La Robla (León), recognized as a Sustainable Center of Castilla y León since 2021 and at the national level since 2024, has activated a proposal that combines classroom learning, environmental awareness and direct action following this summer's fires in the province.
How the project works and who is involved
The initiative involves the entire school: from Early Childhood Education to 6th grade, with boys and girls from 3 to 12 years preparing the seed bombs in a guided manner.
These “balls” are prepared with a mixture of clay, water, soil, compost, and coconut fiber, which encloses native seeds collected by volunteers from Bierzo Renace, facilitating their handling and subsequent germination when the rains arrive.
Where will they be distributed and what species will be used?
The bombs will be deployed in areas affected by the Gestoso fire, specifically in Gestoso, Oencia, Arnado, Leiroso and Lusíoprioritizing enclaves where the natural restoration It needs a push.
The plant-based content is locally sourced: seeds from El Bierzo itself such as dandelion, hawthorn, Bermuda grass, blackthorn, or wild barley, selected to promote soil regeneration and local biodiversity.
Project support and coordination
The asociación Bierzo Reborn has sent to the center a box with seeds, Together with a thank you letter and a videodetails that have reinforced motivation in classrooms and among staff.
From the Regional Government, the territorial delegate in León, Eduardo Diego, has valued that initiatives of this type integrate sustainability into education and act as a real lever of commitment to the environment.
What it contributes to the students and the territory
In addition to advancing in curricular content, students become aware of the impact of forest fires and participate in a concrete action of Ecological restoration linked to its territory.
- Practical learning about biodiversity and soil dynamics.
- Promoting ecosystem resilience with local species.
- I work on values: cooperation, co-responsibility and care for the environment.
- Connection between school, community and environmental entities.
A school model that can be replicated
The CEIP Emilia Menéndez, as Sustainable Center of Castile and LeónIt also integrates awareness-raising actions, waste reduction and energy efficiency, forming a strategy that other schools in the province of León could adopt.
The approach, based on indigenous species and collaboration with associative networks, offers a pragmatic roadmap to promote similar projects in Castilla y Leon and in other territories.
Through coordination between the educational community, the Bierzo Renace association, and institutional support, this initiative... seed bombs It seeks to accelerate the recovery of the Gestoso area and its surroundings, involving children in landscape care and restoration practices adapted to El Bierzo.
