The bikes join the rest of the Civic Agents’ fleet, which is now completely electric

These three Volta enduro motorbikes join the six Scutum motorbikes and the Renault Zoe car, in service since last November, to make up the vehicle fleet of Barcelona’s Civic Agents. The move makes the fleet 100% electric one year earlier than expected. The motorbike is a Volta BCNForest, which has a battery capacity of 3 to 4 kWh and can travel up to 100 km, giving it a very high range, and it can be fully recharged in two hours. Less pollution, more energy-saving The initiative for the Barcelona Municipal Services (B:SM) fleet to go electric began in 2016, and currently, 69 of its 109 motorbikes are already electric. The gradual replacement of the fleet demonstrates B:SM’s firm commitment to electric mobility, a sustainable system that contributes to improved mobility, and to the reduction of CO2 emissions and noise pollution, which all promotes respect for the environment.
It is anticipated that by the first quarter of 2019, the entire B:SM motorcycle fleet will be electric. Catalan technology Volta Motorbikes is a Figueres company founded in 2010 with the aim of using environmentally friendly technology in motorcycles and providing solutions to pollution problems. In 2017, the company was awarded the Red Dot Design Award in the Mobility category, for its motorcycle design. The rest of the motorbikes in the fleet are from SILENCE by Scutum, a Catalan company founded in 2011 with the aim of improving quality of life in cities with innovative 100% sustainable vehicles. The company designs, develops and manufactures two- and three-wheel electric scooters, providing a real, eco-friendly alternative and a product completely adapted to market demand.

The new enclosures improve the well-being of the species that inhabit them, and are an important teaching resource to help show the characteristics of the Sahel ecosystem

The Zoo has completed a new phase of the work on its Sahel savanna complex. During this phase, work was finished on the outdoor section of the giraffe enclosure and a new enclosure for banded mongooses. Also completed is the first section of a walkway that will cross the Savanna, allowing visitors to admire the elephants and giraffes from new angles, or even view the sleeping giraffes through a large window.

There are now also two small viewpoints for the elephants, one in front of the American flamingo enclosure and the other on some new steps that go up to the Savanna Bar via a small cave where there are reproductions of cave paintings showing the animals found in the desert.

The new enclosures are intended to improve the well-being of the species that inhabit them, and are an important teaching resource to help show the characteristics of the Sahel ecosystem - heavily dependent on a short period of rain and, therefore, very sensitive to the effects of climate change - and the animals that live there.  

There is also a small sample of the flora of the Sahel region, which the Zoo has worked on with the Barcelona Botanical Gardens, and will be extended as and when the plants are the appropriate size to be put in. Once the giraffes have adapted to their new home and the mongooses have been moved gradually to ensure that the whole pack adapts well, everyone will be invited to come and see these new spaces, providing spectacular viewpoints for the animals of the savanna. 

The Sahel at the Zoo

Situated at the heart of the Zoo, this large complex is devoted to the ecosystem of the Sahel, and in addition to the elephants, giraffes, lions and mongooses already mentioned, other Sahel species will be housed there as time goes on. The Zoo has had links with the Sahel for many years, through its very active participation in conservation and reintroduction projects for some of the most endangered species in the region, such as the Mohor and Dorcas gazelles, in partnership with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).  

The complex recreates the vegetation and orography of this ecosystem - which is predominantly flat, with abundant acacias, grasses and some euphorbias - using native plants or other species that help to reproduce the landscape.  

All the enclosures are designed based on the needs of the animals, and one of their common features is that they allow free access between indoor and outdoor enclosures whenever possible (except for during cold spells or cleaning periods, or for other technical reasons).  

As for the public’s experience, visitors can watch the animals where they sleep, and also in the outdoor areas seen from different angles at the various viewpoints, some of which allow a really close view, so long as they want to get close too.

There is only one giraffe population in the Sahel, found in Niger, and there is no ex situ conservation programme for them.  Representing them at the Zoo is the Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), one of the most endangered subspecies of which only a few hundred survive.  Barcelona Zoo participates in the European Endangered Species (EEP) ex situ conservation programme for the Rothschild's giraffe.

As for the mongooses, their new habitat includes a network of interconnected runs, as well as a den visible to the public.  They can be seen from two different levels, one of which, at eye level, gives a better view of all the ways in which this species develops to adapt to the environment.

The next phase

Work has already begun on the next phase of the Sahel savanna, which will include the completion of the walkway previously mentioned and the building of the outdoor area in the new lion enclosure. The work will be completed in 2019, with the extension and naturalisation of the elephant enclosure.


For more information click here

The Google Maps panoramic contents service has recently updated its images of the Zoo and, starting today, it will have a virtual tour of the main paths inside the Barcelona Zoo

This initiative is the fruit of the collaboration between the Catalan Autonomous Government’s Centre for Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CTTI) and the American company Google, whose aim is to enable virtual visits to the main tourist, cultural and architectural attractions in the country.
The new recording of the Zoo is an update from the previous contents published in April 2011, which Google operators filmed inside the park for the first time, allowing for a different sort of route through the facilities.

Google technicians use a portable system called the Trekker that they wear on their backs like a rucksack, so they can reach areas that their typical cars cannot. The camera in the rucksack is equipped with 15 lenses that take 360 degree instant snapshots every 2.5 seconds. The recordings are shown over previously taken background images from satellites that create the popular Google Maps. Further, the images can also be viewed in virtual reality format by using a smartphone and Google Cardboard, a viewer. Google Street View is a technology used by Internet browsers around the world that appears on Google Maps and Google Earth and provides panoramic views from different positions along many streets of the world.  

To access Google Street View click here

The design of the building has heeded efficiency criteria, as well as ergonomic factors both for employees and visitors

With the aim of improving the quality of service we provide to our Zoo Club members, the Zoo has had a new more accessible and more modern space open since 22 January. It replaces the old module from the end of the 90s located inside the grounds. 

The new Zoo Club space is located outside the Zoo at the ticket offices on Carrer Wellington, making it easier for us to attend to queries from Zoo Club members and other visitors. Moreover, it will free up the ticket offices from some of the processes related to the Zoo Club, which previously had to be started at the entrance and concluded inside the Zoo. Further, the new space will also handle customer service and information for visitors, and thus is in a larger and more suitable setting for helping out the general public.

The design considered efficiency criteria, with large windows that let in natural light, and low consumption lighting inside. It has also taken ergonomic factors into account, providing improvements both for employees and for visitors, as well as being equipped for people with reduced mobility.

Designed as a multifunction space, there are new sales terminals with digital tablets for signing up for the Zoo Club online, and also a double screen detailing all the advantages of the Zoo Club, the rules for members and rates. And an exciting new addition is information of interest to help everyone plan their custom trip to the Zoo, adapted to different profiles.

More information on what the Zoo Club is here.

The De Brazza’s monkey is a small African primate with a distinctive white bear

Lorenzo, a male De Brazza’s monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) born at the Santillana del Mar Zoo in 2005 and who later lived at the Cordoba Zoo, from 2013 and until today, has paired up with Nicolette, a female born at the Lisbon Zoo in 2009 who has been at the Barcelona Zoo for almost four years now. The previous male at the Zoo was sent to Cabarceno Natural Park because he did not get along very well with Nicolette. The transfer was done at the recommendation of the coordinator of the European Ex Situ Conservation Programme for this species and Zoo managers trust that this time the relationship will work out and that the new couple will have offspring in upcoming years. The De Brazza’s monkey is a small African primate named after a French explorer, which sports a long white beard that is very visually striking, standing out from the dark fur on the rest of its body.   Their populations are shrinking as a consequence of abusive hunting and, above all, the deforestation of their natural environment. Read more information about this species here.

The Zoo is in the midst of its annual pruning campaign, with plans to prune 101 trees and 44 palms before 15 March

Environmental enrichment is a dynamic process whose aim is to increase animals’ behavioural opportunities so that they can develop the behaviours and skills typical of their species. The animals watch and play with different objects that are occasionally or permanently put into their exhibits.

The leaves, branches and trunks from pruning, as well as the Christmas trees picked up by the City Council, receive a second use as enrichment for animal behaviours. The animals are curious and interested in the new items that their caretakers regularly bring them.

The cycle closes when the exhibits and final plant waste are swept out and collected, added to the rest of the plant waste generated at the park and transported from the Zoo Green Point to the composting plant, where they are reused one final time as fertiliser for crops and gardens. Barcelona Zoo risk and pruning management plan

On an annual basis, the Barcelona Zoo hires the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens to draw up a Tree Risk Management Plan. This plan is written by an expert with experience in arboriculture, who studies each of the specimens we have at the Zoo to assess its risk of falling or of higher branches snapping off.
After this evaluation, which is logged in a database, in a geolocation plan and in a written document, the pruning required is planned out, prioritising those that are most urgent and essential.

In 2017, eight were chopped down and another eight will be cut down this year, as they could affect animals, people or infrastructures. And so that the number of trees do not shrink over time, new specimens of different species are planted, adding variety to the collection. Concretely, 17 trees have been planted at different parts of the park:

•    3 Magnolia grandiflora
•    3 Tipuana tipu
•    2 Brachychiton rupestris
•    1 Handroanthus heptaphyllus
•    1 Acacia caffra
•    5 Choricea speciosa
•    2 Tamarix africana

The Zoo monitors them constantly to ensure the safety of the space and the trees’ good health, following the guidelines of the Barcelona City Council’s Parks and Gardens at all times.

More information here

The works will landscape a significant sized space located over the access stairs and are are planned to take, approximately, four months

Today the works start to repair the short-term stay area on Baixada de la Glòria, which will affect the entrance to Park Güell in this area. The works will landscape a significant sized space located over the access stairs from Baixada. The works, which are planned to take four months and cost approximately €450,000, are funded by the revenues from the tourist regulation of the Park’s Monument Hub.
The works will affect the entrance to the Park used by visitors arriving from the Vallcarca Metro stop. For this reason, we recommend that during this period arriving to the Park via this route should be avoided when possible. One alternative is to use the entrance near the Lesseps (L3) Metro stop, from which you can get to the Park by going up the escalators on Avinguda de Sant Josep de la Muntanya.
 
Creation of a new short stay area with views toward Putxet The new space created will have a 320m2 scenic viewpoint facing Putxet, with a series of small esplanades. Access to the viewpoint will be done by building stairs and paths, respecting the restoring the remains of existing dry stone walls. Both the stairs and the paths will be constructed with vibrated brush-finished concrete prepared on site, although rock outcrops will be kept and employed as paving or steps.
The actions that will be executed during the works are:
•    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

The figure exceeds the 2016 season by over 7000 people, thus beating all occupancy records

The 2017 season at the Tibidabo Amusement Park has surpassed all attendance records, according to the provisional annual balance sheet for the business. There were 732,577 visitors to the park on the 158 days it was open, which translates into an average of 4636 people per day. This historic figure represents a 1% year-on-year increase, thus exceeding all past attendance records.  This growth and strengthening of great numbers from last year is primarily due to the fact that the park opened one hour earlier throughout the year, at 11.00 am, along with opening every day in August, which was started in 2015. New rides and new shows in the 2017 season During the season that just finished at the Tibidabo Amusement Park, there were new rides and shows designed especially for children, following the core working area of experiences, with these new rides: the Mini Hurricane and the new Choo-Choo Train that circles a huge garden. In the entertainment programming, two new four-dimension films also premiered—which have enjoyed great success at the Park’s Dididado Cinema—and new closing and street shows, the Tibicabaret puppet show, new characters like Boccato di Cardinale and the new performance on the adventures of the Tibidabo mascots, TI, BI, DA and BO. The park also launched a new website with more functions and a new modern image that will contribute to the interactivity with the public.
Free entrance for ‘rose card’ holders and free tickets for boys and girls from special needs summer schools

Tibidabo is a historic park that respects its past, values the present and works toward the future, which is why it bases its management on four strategic core areas: experiences, education, sustainability and solidarity.
A new feature this season is that holders of the tarjeta rosa (pensioners’ pink card) could enter for free.
In our charity solidarity area, one new feature this season that merits mention is that free entry to the Park was offered since the end of the school year for groups and centres with special needs.

Green AREA residents can enjoy the advantage of purchasing annual tickets by using the ONAparcar app for residents starting on 27 December 2017

AREA, the regulated parking areas in Barcelona, has launched new features for residents buying tickets for 2018. These changes, detailed in Fiscal Ordinance 3.12, affect the channels for obtaining tickets and their duration. ONaparcar Residents app: from one day to the last business day of the year Starting on 29 December 2017 at 8.00 pm, Green AREA residents who use the ONaparcar Residents app can start to purchase tickets for 2018. The permitted terms for the tickets issued by the app can be from one day to the last business day of 2018. Using the free mobile app ONaparcar Residents, parking payment receipts no longer need to be placed under the vehicle windscreen since, due to being a digital receipt, it can be checked electronically and completely securely in real time by the street surveillance device. Parking metres: from one day to 20 business days Starting on 29 December 2017 at 8.00 pm, Green AREA residents can start to purchase tickets for 2018. The permitted terms for the tickets issued by the parking metre can be from one day and up to a maximum of 20 business days. Remember that in this case you must put the payment receipt on the windscreen inside the vehicle, clearly visible from the outside and making sure that all data on the receipt are clearly visible so that validity can be checked. Resident rate and permitted term for 2018 The rates for Green AREA residents for 2018 will continue to be 0.2 euros/day. Further, residents who have not received any parking violations will receive a clean record bonus of 0.2 euros/day and per vehicle. Residents can consult their 2018 rate at the website www.areaverda.cat.
Moreover, remember that the maximum period for the resident vehicle to be parked in the same space in their authorised area is seven calendar days. Pollution alert periods If there are pollution alerts, the rates for residents will not be increased.
Remember that during pollution alert periods for residents whose vehicles are parked in a regulated parking space other than their own neighbourhood, the base rate for the Blue or Green AREA for non-residents will be increased to the rate of 2 euros/hour in all cases, except for those vehicles rated as Zero Emissions, which will exceptionally be charged 0.0 euros/hour. Vehicles classified as ECO will not pay any surcharge after the new digital parking metres that can distinguish these vehicles have been installed. The planned start-up date for these parking metres is May 2018.

For further information: www.areaverda.cat

During its last plenary session, the Municipal Council nominated Eloi Badia as the president of the B:SM Board of Directors

@eloibadia was born in Barcelona in 1983 and is an industrial engineer.  He is a councillor of the President’s Office and Water and Energy, councillor of the Gràcia district and vice-president of Environment for the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). His professional career has been focused on the management and universal access to water. Between 2007 and 2015, he ran the Engineers Without Borders water campaign, was a member of the Management Board for the Spanish Association of Public Supply and Sanitation Operators, the Advisory Committee of the Spanish Government’s Water and Sanitation Fund, and the Steering Committee for the UN-Habitat Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance. He has also driven forward a change in model toward the management of consumer goods through the platform Aigua és Vida (Water is Life), the Network for Energy Sovereignty and the Alliance against Energy Poverty. He has participated in cooperation projects in Ecuador, Argentina, India, Uruguay and Paraguay to ensure universal access to water and energy and food sovereignty.

Eloi Badia expressed his strong advice that B:SM continues to promote public management in the areas of mobility, public spaces, culture, leisure and education in Barcelona, via the ethical, efficient and effective management of public resources, innovation and commitment to social development that is environmentally sustainable. The new president has stated that the main current challenges of B:SM will be handled with this spirit. They include the strategic plan for the Zoo, the improvements to Park Güell, the improvement of real time user information on mobility services, the promotion of electro-mobility and the implementation of the new Bicing.

The president is designated from among the B:SM Board members by the Plenary Council, in its functions as a general shareholders meeting. 

Further information: www.bsmsa.cat/transparencia/