On 24 April 2026, we met in the library of CIPFP El Palmeral to take an important step towards improving our surroundings. During this meeting, we presented the proposal for the renaturalisation of our facilities, an initiative that arises from collaboration with the University of Alicante (UA) and is part of the TEAM#UP project.

We are aware that our centre, located in a culturally valuable setting such as the Palmeral of Orihuela, requires an intervention that restores its biodiversity and improves the wellbeing of those who inhabit it on a daily basis. This project is not only a technical intervention, but a genuine commitment to transforming highly anthropised or underused spaces into living learning environments and places of natural coexistence.

Key stakeholders attended this first working meeting, including:

• The school leadership team, with our director Victoria Hernández at the helm, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to sustainability.
• Vicente Pina, Councillor for Education of the City Council of Orihuela, showing municipal support for this urban landscape transformation.
• Jordi Cortina-Segarra, principal investigator of TEAM#UP, who presented the opportunity to turn our centre into an international reference for ecological restoration in vocational education.
• Andreu Ibáñez, from the RENATUREM Sud d’Alacant Living Lab, who linked this initiative to the global challenge of halting environmental degradation in our province.
• Borja Cerón, master’s student at the UA and author of the project “Challenges of ecological restoration in urban environments. The restoration of the surroundings of IES El Palmeral of Orihuela (Alicante)”, who outlined proposed actions for each area of the centre.

The work plan is structured into several modules that aim to directly address current challenges such as excessive asphalt, lack of shade, and the loss of agricultural identity. Key actions include the creation of mastic tree vegetation screens, the restoration of the hemp pond as a heritage feature, and the transformation of the courtyard into a more educational and welcoming space for students. CIPFP El Palmeral thus opens itself to nature, acknowledging our past and working towards a sustainable future.

In the coming weeks, we will take a further step with the second phase of the participatory process, an open day for the entire school community. We invite students, families, teachers, and support staff to join and contribute their perspectives on the initial proposals. We believe this project will only gain its true meaning if it is built together, so that the new school environment becomes a space we all feel part of and responsible for.

This article has been translated from the Spanish article: “Inicio del proyecto de renaturalización del CIPFP El Palmeral” by Juan Román Patiño Villena, published at: https://portal.edu.gva.es/cipfpelpalmeral/2026/04/28/inicio-del-proyecto-de-renaturalizacion-del-cipfp-el-palmeral/