Biodiversity Night also recognises the work of the Granollers Natural Sciences Museum and that of the spokesperson in this area, José Luis Gallego

The event showcases the conservation and research work carried out by the Foundation and Barcelona Zoo over the last 10 years

Three new videos of the conservation and research projects were presented. The Mallorcan Midwife Toad, The Insects of Collserola and Monitoring Rorqual Whales in the Mediterranean  

Last night, the Barcelona Zoo Foundation presented the first edition of its Biodiversity Night in the auditorium of the Ciutadella Campus of Pompeu Fabra Unversity. The ceremony was attended by over 150 people, including academics, conservationists and members of Barcelona Zoo. It aims to become a major annual event for presenting the conservation and research work for biodiversity carried out in Catalonia in which both the Foundation and the Zoo's professional staff participate. Antoni Alarcon, the director of the Zoo, acknowledged the efforts made by all those who dedicate a significant amount of their time and their lives to working for biodiversity and for the research and conservation of species. He highlighted all the work that the Barcelona Zoo Foundation has made possible in recent years.
 
He also highlighted the need to conserve our diversity given the decline in the number of species, placing particular emphasis on invertebrates which, although they make up 95% of all the species on the planet, are still a relatively unknown part of the animal world. To this effect, and in accordance with the New Zoo Model, Alarcon announced the creation of an Invertebrate House in the Zoo, which has already been designed and could become a reality by 2020. This New Zoo Model also aims to become a benchmark for conservation in the Mediterranean with the creation of a Centre for Marine Biodiversity, which aims to challenge the current lack of knowledge about marine life and help protect it in the most effective way possible.
 
Three awards were presented during the ceremony in recognition of the work done by professionals and institutions to conserve biodiversity. The outstanding professional career award was won by Martí Boada, PhD in Environmental Sciences, geographer and naturalist. He is a member of the Spanish Committee for the United Nations Environment Programme, the Communication and Education Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) and the UN's Global 500 Environmental Forum. Antoni Arrizabalaga, director of the Granollers Natural Sciences Museum, collected an award on behalf of his institution in recognition of the work and studies done there to protect our biodiversity and its dissemination through exhibitions. And last, the award for communication was presented to the spokesperson José Luis Gallego, who has worked in many different media outlets and is one of the most influential figures on environmental matters.

10 years of conservation projects Barcelona Zoo’s main mission is to play an active role in conservation, scientific research and dissemination regarding wildlife and their natural habitats. To this effect, the ambitious Research and Conservation Programme has been running for the last decade. It provides support for applied research and the conservation of species, some of which would otherwise be highly endangered or extinct. These include:
•    the “Crio zoo”, a conservation project based on molecular genetics that aims to create a gene bank for all species.
•    the project to take urgent measures to conserve the white-collared mangabey, a primate whose population has been halved in recent decades, coordinated from the Zoo by Dr. Maria Teresa Abelló
•    and the project to reintroduce the dorcas gazelle in Senegal, one of the most highly endangered species there, run by the Zoo in collaboration with the CSIC. Another reintroduction project is the conservation of the Mallorcan midwife toad in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range of Mallorca. This is small toad that is native to the island and is almost extinct. It is being bred at the Zoo's facilities and over 1,000 individuals have already been released into their natural habitat. The Rorqual project also focuses on the Mediterranean area. This is a study of whale populations in the Catalan sea, with special emphasis on the Rorqual whale, and is the only study of its kind on the migration of these whales along the Garraf coastline. The Montseny brook newt and its LIFE project is a similar case to the Mallorcan midwife toad. This is a species native to the Montseny massif which would very likely have disappeared by now were it not for this project. Two further conservation projects in Catalonia involve the shrike and the cinereous vulture. Although they are two very different initiatives, they have both succeeded in preventing the extinction of these birds.
And last, the project to develop the Amphibian Observatory in the Empordà marshland was also highlighted at the event. This group of animals is one of the most vulnerable to climate change and is one of ICUN’s biggest concerns. 10 years of PRIC grants The Research and Conservation Programme (PRIC) grants were launched with the aims of continually improving animal welfare, contributing to conservation and research, producing high-quality science and disseminating scientific practice, among others. These grants are awarded annually by the Barcelona Zoo Foundation and 92 selected projects have received a total €772,242 in grants during this first decade of existence. This figure is 30% of Barcelona Zoo Foundation’s total direct expenditure on supporting initiatives and fostering on-site research and conservation projects, which has totalled €2.5 million over the last ten years. On Biodiversity Night, five projects representing those that have been awarded grants during this decade were presented by their authors, all linked to on-site conservation. •    A study on food ecology to conserve the Iberian Lynx, by Dr. Germán Garrote (Conservation Biology Institute) •    Monitoring the canopy insects of the Collserola mountain range, by Dr. Jorge Mederos (Barcelona Museum of Natural Sciences) •    Monitoring the population of the European polecat in Catalonia with the aim of defining conservation measures, by Salvador Salvador (University of Girona)

•    Study of the wildcat population in Catalonia, by Marc Vilella (Osona Naturalist Group / Catalan Institute of Natural History)

•    Conservation of the West African chimpanzee in Fouta Jallon (Senegal), by Federico Bocdánovich, Managing Director of the Jane Goodall Institute

New Conservation and Research videos Three new videos on conservation and research, produced by Barcelona Zoo, were presented during the ceremony. The Mallorcan Midwife Toad, The Insects of Collserola and Monitoring Rorqual Whales in the Mediterranean.
Click on these links to watch these Barcelona Zoo videos posted on YouTube Mallorcan Midwife Toad
The Insects of Collserola
Monitoring Rorqual Whales in the Mediterranean

 

This weekend, the eighth edition of the traditional Puppet Show kicks off and we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Airplane ride

With the summer season over, the Tibidabo Amusement Park is now getting ready for autumn, with a range of new and different innovations and the hosting of activities that have become a tradition. This is true for the Puppet Show, now in its eighth edition and running from 15 September to 16 October, and the Great Heart Festival, now in its 24th consecutive year. In addition, this year the anniversary will be celebrated of one of our most iconic rides: the Tibidabo Airplane. With the onset of September, the Park adapts to the school schedule and will open every weekend at 11 am. Closing time is 10 pm in September and 9 pm in October. The game ‘Emotions at the Heart of Tibidabo’, starring the mascots, will be held at the Sky Theatre between 4.30 and 6 pm. And everyone who comes to the Park can still take the new guided tours of the Automaton Museum, which are held at 5 and 7 pm, at which visitors can see and learn about the inner workings of all these machines, some dating back to the 19th century. The tour is included with your Park ticket, although you can also buy a ticket just to go to the tour. In the latter case, you have to book your museum tickets in advance, which cost €3. Puppet Show The Marionetarium will be the stage for the 8th Puppet Show, presenting a different puppet show every weekend from 15 September to 7 October. There are five shows a day: At 12, 1, 3, 4 and 5 pm.
 
On the 15th, the company Guilla Teatre launches the show with L’hort de Can Pitrocs (The Garden at Can Pitrocs), a story based on the blossoming of a friendship that endures over time. It tells of our right to belong to and respect a land and have a strong conviction of wanting to put down roots there and, in parallel, about the freedom and need to travel and see the immensity of the world. On Sunday the 16th, Cagafulles, el follet rondinaire (Cagafulles, the Grumbling Elf) will be showing, by the Cia Patawa, a story of an elf who—following family tradition—makes everyone leave who enters the forest by farting. On the weekend of La Mercè Festival—22, 23 and 24 September—the Herta Frankel company will offer the workshop ‘De l’Ou a la Titella’ (From Egg to Puppet), where all boys and girls can let their imaginations soar and create their own puppets. The following weekend there will be two performances: on the 29th, Tròpic by Teia Moner, where several animals from the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn explain the different cultures in the countries they come from. And then on Sunday the 30th, the company Galiot will perform Palla, Fusta, Pedra (Straw, Wood, Stone) recounting the classic story of the Three Little Pigs.
 
The show closes on the 6th and 7th of October with El llop cantaire (The Singing Wolf) by Pengim Penjam, a show that tells the popular stories of the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood from the perspective of the character of the wolf. The elements used to represent the work are fruits and vegetables, and the narration adds a lovely educational aspect on the importance of having healthy eating habits. This last puppet show is indeed included in the activities the Park organises for Healthy Eating Month, which is held in October. The Airplane celebrates its 90th anniversary On 23 September, the Tibidabo Airplane turns 90 years old and, to celebrate, the weekend of La Mercè Festival (22, 23 and 24 September), everybody who comes to the Park can see a special animation set in the Airplane, and will also receive a free gift of a commemorative bracelet for the ride.  The Airplane was the last great creation by Doctor Salvador Andreu, one of the promoters of Tibidabo in 1899, and it is one of the Park’s most iconic rides and the third oldest. The Airplane is a reproduction of the first plane that flew between Barcelona and Madrid and, while it was modernised in 2017, its original image was maintained, as well as the original items inside of them, like the radiophone station from 1933.
 
10 years of educational activities with schools The anniversary—10th in this case—will also be celebrated of the educational activities that the Park organises for schools and institutes, converting the rides into teaching tools to explain physics and technological concepts in a fun and interesting way. To celebrate this tenth anniversary, a new educational activity has been created called ‘Science, technology and environment at Tibidabo’, with curricular competences for students from preschool to higher secondary. The purpose of these activities is to complement the school curriculum, innovate with new resources and to see the Park as a macro-laboratory of experiences. Further, a contest will be announced in which schools that have taken part in these educational activities over the course of the last 10 years will be invited to participate. Students will have to create a model for a ride, which must operate, and the winning projects will be exhibited throughout the year in the Automaton Museum. OFF Piano Contest by the Maria Canals Association Culture has always been present at Tibidabo, and on 28 September it will be highlighted via the presentation of the OFF Piano Contest by the Maria Canals Association, a project that promotes access to music and amateur practice by both young and old, in order to convey that playing and enjoying music are essential for everybody’s personal development. The weekend of 29 and 30 September, a piano will be set up in the Plaza of Dreams, with the aim of comparing practicing the piano to a game or ride. The Maria Canals Porta Cua is the most successful initiative of the OFF Contest, which consists of placing 100 pianos on the street, in cultural facilities, universities, the metro and in specific local, national and state spaces. October: healthy eating, Festival of the Heart and ‘Scary Feelings’ As is a total tradition now, in October 'Food Month’ will be celebrated, organised jointly with the Alicia Foundation. Different chefs from the foundation will give healthy food workshops exclusively for TibiClub members, where they will learn to enjoy great meals as a family, under the motto ‘Eat healthy, eat fun’.
Moreover, on 7 October the 24th edition of the Big Heart Festival will be celebrated, organised by the AACIC CorAvant Foundation, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of knowing how our hearts work. The festival will have over 60 volunteers and there will be dance and acrobatic performances, drawing workshops, giants and much, much more. Tibidabo will make charity tickets available to visitors and part of the funds collected will be donated to the projects on which the foundation is working. Later, on the weekend of 27 and 28 October, Tibidabo once again joins Open House BCN, an architectural festival during which over 150 leading spaces in the city can be visited. Tibidabo participates in the framework of the #OpenSketch18 activity, an illustration contest where those participating can create their sketches from one of the highest viewpoints with great views of the city. To finish with Halloween at month-end, the Park is getting ready so you can experience ‘Scary Feelings’, a hair-raising and frightening show that will be held on weekends in November, in its second edition this year. The Tibidabo Amusement Park will fill up with zombies and many more surprising characters.
 

On Saturday the 15th, this charity day will be held that is dedicated to children's heart diseases

This Saturday the 15th the Barcelona Zoo will host the ‘Day with Most Heart’, a charity day dedicated to children’s heart diseases that is being organised jointly with the Paediatric Cardiology Service at the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus. Solidarity tickets have been created for the occasion, which can be purchased on the Atrápalo platform. The Zoo will donate part of the proceeds from ticket sales to research into these diseases, and the stand in the centre of the park will be selling merchandising for the same purpose. The Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus is the largest centre specialising in children’s heart diseases in Catalonia. It is the only hospital with comprehensive service, from foetuses to adults, and the only centre that has a Children’s Heart Transplant programme.
 

Visitors can enter the repair shop and open the automaton display cases, some dating back to the 19th century, to see their inner workings

Visitors to the Tibidabo Amusement Park can—starting now—get to know the Automaton Museum in a whole new and more intimate way, via the new guided tours on offer. The objective is for visitors to be able to view the insides of these machines and see how the models operate, opening up their display cases for the very first time. Guided tours will be available every weekend at 5 and 7 pm through October, by booking a place at the museum. For everyone who just wants to go on the guided tour, tickets cost € 3. The tour explains the history of the automatons, some of the dating back to the 19th century, how they operate and many other interesting trivia facts and information on each of the models. Further, there is the opportunity for the very first time to enter the workshops where conservation and repair works are done. The museum has over 40 pieces from different countries and some of them were even created by Park employees starting in 1925. Click here to watch a video of the tour.
 

The activity, which will be held on Saturday 1 September at 9.30 am, will have Olympic and Paralympic coaches and athletes

On Saturday 1 September at 9.30 am, the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium will be the setting for a macro-training with 750 people to help them prepare for the 40th La Mercè Race. The action is organised jointly with the La Sansi Athletics Club, which does the technical management of the race, and there will be Olympic and Paralympic elite coaches and trainers present, who will explain different techniques to attendees for improving physical performance and their participation in La Mercè Race. This activity—innovative and totally free—kicks off the 2018-2019 season at the Olympic Ring, during which different periodic activities will be held that are open to all city residents. These include ‘Come and run at the Stadium’, which lets everyone come and run on the Olympic Stadium track for free. A great option for doing sport as a family, with friends or alone, which will be held on the last Sunday of every month.
  
40th La Mercè Race La Mercè Race, which will be held on 16 September, is a 10 kilometre route that goes by some of the Catalan capital’s most iconic landmarks and is now a classic of this festive competition with over three decades of history. The start and finish are on Avinguda de la Reina María Cristina.
Registering for the race has a symbolic cost of €5, and collections are donated to charity projects. You can sign up now at www.bcn.cat/cursamerce, until the 14,000 person limit is reached.




 

The normal entrances to Park Güell are not affected and—to prevent disturbances—the closing of the square is only partial, so that visitors can continue seeing Gaudí’s bench and city views

This week, phase two of the restoration works in Nature Square started, with the purpose of improving the rainwater drainage network and of waterproofing the ceiling of Hypostyle Hall. To be able to properly execute these works, access to Nature Square and to Hypostyle Hall itself has been partially restricted. In order to prevent inconveniences as much as possible, Nature Square has been closed lengthwise, so that visitors can enter the right side of the square and continue to see Gaudí’s wavy bench and views over the city. However, the restoration works do allow visitors a view that cannot normally be seen. For this reason, we invite you to discover the top part of the vaults of Hypostyle Hall, which shall be covered once again after the works to seal the roof have been completed. The park’s normal entrances are not affected, and a special walkway will be fitted out for people with reduced mobility.

Reuse of rainwater Nature Square has an area of nearly 3000 m2 of coarse sand, a material that filters rainwater, collects it via a drainage system that conducts it to inside the columns of Hypostyle Hall and, finally, feeds into the cistern constructed under the hall. This allows the water to be reused to water the park. The works being done were necessary in order to repair the drainage system and prevent its deterioration.
These actions, which will be underway until year end, are framed within the Works Plan for Architectural and Natural Heritage and the Area Surrounding Park Güell, after being commissioned by the Government Committee of the Barcelona City Council.

Park visitors can now see this evening audiovisual show every night through 2 September

You still have a chance to see the 7ART new laser show at the Tibidabo Amusement Park, an evening show that takes us on a journey through the history of cinema, which 9,101 people have already enjoyed. With totally revamped audiovisuals, nights at the park lets visitors watch the contrast of all the lighting effects, which are accompanied by shows and live music of cinema classics. The show is presented every night at 10.00 pm in the Plaza of Dreams, through 2 September. Click here to watch a video of the show.
 
Summer opening hours Like always, the Park has extended opening hours in the summer and, during August, is open every day until 11.00 pm. The summer schedule will continue for the first two weeks of September. You can see opening hours by clicking here.

With the end of the repair works, the direct route from the Vallcarca metro stop is now open to the public

The repair works at the Baixada de la Glòria entrance are all done. The works landscaped a significant area located over the access stairs on this road. The works, which cost approximately € 450,000, were funded by revenues from the tourist regulation of the Park’s Monument Hub.
The end of the works represents the revival of the entrance and exit from Park Güell on Baixada de la Glòria, which is the most common way to get to the park from the Vallcarca metro stop.
 
Creation of a new park area with views toward Putxet

The new space created is a 320m2 scenic viewpoint facing Putxet, with a series of small esplanades. Access to the viewpoint was done by building stairs and paths, respecting and restoring the remains of existing dry stone walls. Both the stairs and the paths were constructed with vibrated brush-finished concrete prepared on site, although rock outcrops will be kept and employed as paving or steps.
The works done were:
 
•    Cleaning and adaptation of the surrounding area
•    Clearing and pruning of existing plant life
•    Accessibility and treatment of pavements
•    Safety of all routes
•    Lighting for the path and new viewpoint
•    Landscaping and scenic enhancement
•    Protection—via handrails—of points that must not be accessible due to safety reasons or to conserve the dry wall ruins
•    Selective cleaning of remains
•    Urban furniture

Everyone is invited to train on the track at the Lluís Companys Stadium as part of the ‘Come and run at the Stadium’ project

The educational project Ring STEAM Visions will give over 2000 students the chance for education in a creative and innovative setting in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math

The Olympic Ring will become—starting in the upcoming academic year—a space for the city’s people, unique and plural, which contributes to improving Barcelonans’ quality of life, with a sustainable, lively and open nature, while remaining a great international reference. Actions will be done around three strategic core areas: sport, culture and entertainment. The 2018-2019 season is launched with a decidedly social character, with the aim of being there for the people and available to everyone, a sustainable city space environmentally and economically, as well as with regard to mobility. Knowledge will be promoted educationally among the people, who can enjoy unique experiences throughout the year. The Olympic Ring of Barcelona has become an international benchmark among former Olympic facilities owing to its management and state of conservation. It is known for its versatility and capacity to host different events in its four different spaces: the Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi, the Sant Jordi Club and the Olympic Esplanade. The top-rate events they host have been possible due to ongoing investments averaging € 1.5 million per year over the last decade.    A Ring for one and all The Olympic Ring is a lively and modern city space, as shown by the over 160 events held there in 2017, translating into activities during 325 days. The Ring created over one million experiences among cultural, family, sport and social events. During the upcoming school year, the level of activities will not only be upheld, but will be diversified and expanded by the new uses for which it is employed by city residents. There will be a democratisation of sport at the Olympic facilities. Starting in September, on the last Sunday of each month and on all local holidays, ‘Come and run at the Stadium’ will be held, on the athletic track at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, which will open its doors so everyone who wants can go there to run and jog. Further, starting in 2019, the stadium will also be open on the days leading up to the city’s iconic races and marathons, which include the La Mercè Race, Red Nose Race, the Half Marathon and Barcelona Marathon, so that everyone can go and train there. The increased activities at the stadium for residents can also be noted via the new educational project ‘Ring STEAM Visions’, which will bring over 2000 students from years two and three of compulsory secondary to the Olympic Ring during the 2018-19 academic year. STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths, and refers to all educational activities and initiatives that tie together these disciplines. The aim is to keep students motivated by providing flexible and accessible creativity and innovation, while bearing in mind the social component of learning. Promoting sport Sport is one of the core areas on which the Olympic Ring has been centred since its original design. Taking advantage of acquired experience, and with the democratisation for the ongoing use of the facilities by Barcelonans, work will be done to foster sports among youth and at schools, which will be combined with organising large-scale sporting events, a field in which the ring is already a world benchmark.
 
One of the new activities involving sport is working closely with schools, by creating student sports circuits and—for the 2019-2020 season—different circuits for summer schools, offering 5000 places at the Olympia Campus. The hosting of all types of sports events will continue, such as the School Biathlon and El Corte Inglés Race, as well as continuing to hold well-established sports events, like the Indoor Trial and the NBA friendly games, or welcoming elite teams for training camps, done already by the English Tottenham team and teams from China and Qatar. For the 2019-2020 season, in addition to the sports circuit for summer camps, there are also plans to open the stadium for holding outside fitness activities, and important sports finals. Enhancing culture The activities included in the Ring STEAM Visions will be decisive in promoting culture. However, this educational project will not be the only cultural action implemented at the Olympic Ring. There will also be concerts and musical performances, with greater emphasis placed on the performing arts and on imparting knowledge about the space’s architecture and history. Inclusive access will also be kept in mind, so that culture is within reach of everyone. Thus, the new projects that will be carried out include inclusive cultural entertainment programmes for groups at risk of social exclusion, with 1000 tickets a year allocated to this area, the hosting of children’s concerts and the promotion of other student cultural events like Dansa Ara and as a venue for children’s choruses. And it will continue to welcome all types of top-rate concerts and shows.
  
Enriching leisure time Another core strategic area is entertainment, so that visitors to the ring have unique experiences to enrich their leisure time, promoting diverse and fun alternatives and fostering the uniqueness of the Olympic spaces for leisure and creative events. Actions planned for the upcoming season include leisure days like the first artistic photography competition related to the space’s architecture, a city art meeting and the launching of outside cinema. Diverse family events will continue, including the Festa del Súpers, and collaborations with several foundations like the Soñar Despierto Foundation, and knowledge promotion already done in the past, like the BioCultura Fair and different business development activities.
 
A sustainable ring The Ring will be maximised as a sustainable city space in all of its core areas. Sustainable mobility will always be considered, fostering pollution free driving and increasing the number of electric vehicle charging points.
Caring for the environment is one of the main motivations, which is why reusable glasses will be increased at the events held at the Ring. Only last year, this initiative led to reusing 285,000 glasses. Work will also be done to optimise recycling and all conventional lights will be replaced by LEDs, in order to reduce electric consumption. All in all, actions conducted seeking balance to ensure economic sustainability.

It will take place at the Park every night in August

Tibidabo Amusement Park launches the 7ART new laser show, an evening show that takes us on a journey through the history of cinema. With totally revamped audiovisuals, nights at the park lets visitors watch the contrast of all the lighting effects, which are accompanied by shows and live music of cinema classics. The show is presented every night at 10.00 pm in the Plaza of Dreams, through 2 September. Summer opening hours Like always, the Park has extended opening hours in the summer and, during August, is open every day until 11.00 pm. The summer schedule will continue for the first two weeks of September.