Benidorm to plant a hundred trees at three schools during the patron saint festivities

Benidorm plans to plant around a hundred trees in the playgrounds of the Ausiàs March, Puig Campana and Els Tolls state schools from 7 to 10 November, during the school holiday for the Festes Majors Patronals.

The work aims to increase natural shade in outdoor spaces and reduce pupils’ and teachers’ exposure to the sun, particularly during the months when temperatures are high.

The Parks and Gardens department is leading the scheme with Education, under a €73,433 contract to be delivered in two phases that also includes new trees in public streets.

Mulberries, tipuanas and chinaberry trees for the playgrounds

The species selected for the schools are mulberries, tipuanas and chinaberry trees, chosen, according to the council, for their resilience and their ability to provide shade in outdoor areas.

The increase in the area protected from the sun will be gradual and depend on the trees’ growth and the conditions in each playground, so planting does not mean all that shade will be available from day one.

Parks and Gardens councillor José Ramón González de Zárate said the project continues work begun three years ago to bring more nature into playgrounds and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Work scheduled for days without classes

The timetable takes advantage of the break in lessons during the festivities to carry out planting without pupils on site and minimise disruption and interference with teaching.

González de Zárate visited one of the schools alongside Education councillor Maite Moreno ahead of this further work on school grounds.

The initiative follows improvements made during the summer holidays, when the council allocated around €150,000 to work at ten state schools before the start of the 2026–2027 academic year.

The councillor recalled that shaded areas had already been installed in several school playgrounds before the start of the academic year.

Of that summer investment, €48,000 was set aside to create new shaded areas; gardening, maintenance and checks on existing trees were also carried out at thirteen schools during the summer.