Experiences for the whole family and day camps fill the activities schedule for the Christmas season

The Barcelona Zoo has now published its Christmas Season Activities Programme, which will run through 7 January. These activities have been designed to create bonds of long-lasting respect and esteem with our natural environment through fun, values and new knowledge.
Highlights of holiday programming this year include new topics added to the open activities that the Zoo offers its visitors as part of the ticket price, related to subjects like animal wellbeing, recycling and conservation of the endangered Montseny brook newt.
 
Special promotions
To encourage visits to the Zoo during the holidays, the Zoo has a great deal for online tickets, with a 50% discount starting on 1 December and that will remain valid for 6 months. The promotion will run through 7 January. Also until this date, everyone who would like to become a member of the Zoo Club can do so without having to pay any registration fee, and then can visit the zoo as many times as they like for one whole year. Open activities
Recycling workshop, the Journey of the Leaf, Animal Enrichments, The Montseny Brook Newt, Take Care of It, Little Farmers, Think Orange
Every weekend, holiday and school holiday days starting on 17/12 (included in the ticket price). Exact dates and times for all activities can be viewed on the Zoo website. No bookings are required although space is limited.

Zoo educators have prepared activities for the young—and not so young—to learn how to be farmers, to pick and care for pets and to learn about many of the Zoo animals, their habitats and their status in nature, via games, arts and crafts and employing the naturalist's tools. During these days, new experiences are being added that are related to the work done by the Zoo to assure the animals’ wellbeing through creating stimuli, known as ‘behavioural enrichment’, to recycling—what waste the Zoo produces and how it is managed—the flora at the Zoo and in our surroundings, and a special workshop on the Montseny brook newt preservation programme. This newt is the only vertebrate endemic to Catalonia and one of the most endangered amphibians in Europe, which now is the object of a European Union Life Project.
 
Storyteller
During school holidays, the imagination flies at the Zoo: one of the Zoo’s entertainers, a very funny and witty guy, will be telling boys and girls visiting the Zoo stories and tales starring the animals. No booking required (dates, times and locations on the Zoo website).

Spectacular Invertebrates 2 exhibition
The Zoo has extended this exhibition with live animals until 2 April, organised in collaboration with expert Sergi Romeu, to teach everyone about the world of invertebrate arthropods and how we can learn to respect them.  Via observation, direct contact and explanatory panels, the public will learn a slew of details and trivia on centipedes, spiders, lady birds, butterflies and many other spectacular animals. The exhibition is open on weekends and holidays and also has an interactive workshop available. Full information available on the Zoo website.

Zoo camps and days (Paid activities)
For Christmas, Holy Week, summer months and school holidays, boys and girls can come to the Zoo and spend educational and exciting holidays. The Zoo Camps are a unique option for educational fun that brings the world of animals to youth and kids, and foster respect for biodiversity and the environment.
Morning and morning-afternoon options. Information on prices and discounts for Zoo Club members on the Zoo website.
In upcoming weeks, the Zoo has the following Zoo Camps and Days:
Camps:
27, 28 and 29 December: Christmas Holiday Camp
2, 3, 4 and 5 January: Three Wise Men Holiday Camp
To learn about how we work, where the animals come from and see them close up
Zoo Days:
21 December: Christmas is Starting
The days before Christmas are always very special, and at the Zoo we have a different and unforgettable suggestion for you. Under the motto ‘We work for nature’ and surrounded by the animals that the little ones love the most, boys and girls will discover the dangers that threaten their habitats and what we can do to help them. A revelatory experience to learn to be more responsible with our environment.

From the 1st of December starts up the protocol for air pollution, including the setting og a low emission zone and restrictions to the most polluting vehicles

The Barcelona City Council, following its agreements with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) and the Catalan Autonomous Government (Generalitat) started up the protocol for air pollution episodes on 1 December. This includes the entry into force on the same date of the low emission zone (LEZ) around Barcelona’s ring roads (Rondes LEZ Area), which involves access restrictions to this area of the most polluting vehicles.

The restrictions will be applied when the Generalitat declares an air pollution episode by nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (where forecasts state this will occur two-three times per year) and, starting in 2020, these restrictions will be permanent.

Starting on this date, when an air pollution episode due to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is declared, a widespread alert mechanism for citizens will be activated. This will be done via reporters and different municipal channels, by TMB and other transport operators, and by B:SM. A series of free alerts will also be offered.

When there is an air pollution episode, the tax for regulated vehicle parking on public roadways will be activated, with an increased rate in the Blue Area and Green Area of two euros/hour, for non-resident vehicles, for the most polluting vehicles, which will be added to the regular rate.

During air pollution episodes, cars that do not bear the Spanish General Traffic Directorate (DGT) environmental label (Zero, Eco, C and B) will not be able to drive in the low emission zone. Concretely, the vehicles affected by this restriction will be sedans that are benzene cars produced before 2000 (prior to Euro 3) and diesels before 2006 (prior to Euro 4). The vans affected are those prior to October 1994 (pre-Euro1).

Further information: http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/qualitataire/



 

The Zoo is the main contributor to the project to conserve and rescue this species in Senegal

On 15 November, a new baby Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas) was born at the Barcelona Zoo. The new-born's name is Junior and his parents, Maribel and Asturiano, the group's male breeder, were from a centre in Asturias. After a few unfruitful attempts, due to the mother’s lack of experience, the little gazelle managed to breastfeed and now does it regularly. He is also in great health and living well in his exhibit.
Since the start of the year, seven babies have been born in Barcelona, added to the success of the species’ conservation plan. In total, the Zoo’s population consists of 16 females and nine males.
 
The Barcelona Zoo is the main collaborator in the revival project for the Dorcas gazelle led by the Arid Areas Experimental Station of Almeria of CSIC with the support of several European zoos. In the last 10 years, the Zoo has provided funding and veterinary and educational advisory services to this programme in Senegal, one of the countries from which this species originates, which is almost extinct in the wild, due to hunting in the deserts and steppes where it lives in North Africa, Arabia and the Near East. New specimens transferred to Senegal
This week Zoo members of the so-called ‘Spanish team’ (made up of the CSIC and the Zoo), Hugo Fernández and Conrad Enseñat, respectively a veterinarian and mammal conservator, travelled to Senegal, to take one further step ahead in the project. The transfer of new specimens is now planned from the small Réserve de Faune de Guembeul to the Réserve de Faune Ferlo Nord—an extensive protected region of over 6000 km2, representative of the scrub savannah characteristic of the Sahel—after they have spent the necessary period of time adapting to the new environment. This transfer is being awaited with great excitement by the local communities involved in the project and the participating institutions.
 
Réserve de la Faune de Guembeul (Senegal)
Zoo experts and a film crew are accompanying them, who will report on this phase of the project. And there will also be camera traps and material for filming the animals inside their cages and during transport. All in all, all the equipment and teams will let them comprehensively monitor and document the operation, providing extremely interesting materials that we will be able to share on the expedition

Shows, cinema and activities for the whole family fill the special Christmas programming that starts this Saturday 2 December

The Tibidabo Amusement Park has now published its family activities and shows schedule for the Christmas season, which will start on 2 December and run through 5 January.
Special highlights of the programming for this Christmas season include the Christmas Marramangu, Els Pepsicolen’s show with MC Pep Callau; the 4D film The Little Prince and the LEGO Education Creativity Workshops at Creatibi.

Special Christmas shows and activities
Christmas Marramangu
From 2 December 2017 to 5 January 2018 at 4.30 pm (on days when the Park is open)
Once again the company and friends of the Tibidabo Amusement Park, Els Pepsicolen, with MC Pep Callau, present a festive show for the Christmas holidays, combining a theatrical story and live music to enjoy the Christmas spirit with the whole family with excitement, the magic of theatre and savoir faire of this iconic company. After the show Il·lusions (Hopes), based on Dickens’ tales, after the staging of Pastorets (traditional theatre on the birth of Jesus and shepherds), after theatre art by Folch i Torres, a show as pure and new as the virgin show commences, the Christmas Marramangu. An explosive blend of all the good and best of the Pep Callau Company and Els Pepsicolen. A shaking, unstoppable and surprising staging, where improvisation becomes a show, a show in which the audience takes part, because everyone is a star. It is absolutely unique to experience this party, an explosion of emotions shared with the whole family that will imprint the spirit of Christmas on every last member of the audience's eyes.
 
Christmas Tibimarionetarium
From 2 December 2017 to 5 January 2018 (on days when the Park is open)
A Christmas puppet show starring the most famous characters from the Marionetarium, accompanied by other classics and other characters newly created just for the occasion like the Tibidabo mascots, at which music and snow will also play their roles.

Julio Jaleo, Bròquil Samfaina, the Snow Grandma, Maestro Semprini, the Tibidabo Mascots, the Snow Doll, the Guitarist and Accordionist, Santa Claus and Karam will all be turning up for the special occasion too.

Creativity workshops at the LEGO Education Creatibi
From 2 December 2017 to 5 January 2018 (on days when the Park is open)
In the Free Play area, boys, girls and families can adorn the space with the decorations they build using LEGO Education pieces. There will even be a Christmas tree on which to hang the most creative ornaments. Further, they can all participate in the Christmas Creativity Workshops, which are held throughout the day and adapted to different age ranges: 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 years old.
 
The Little Prince in 4D cinema at Dididado
From 23 December 2017 to 5 January 2018 (on days when the Park is open)
A long-time classic, The Little Prince, is back with an extraordinary adventure! Visitors can relive the magic of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s lovely uplifting story and enter into this spectacular journey, flying next to the courageous heroes, travelling to the planet of music, waking the friendly stone giant and dodging the iron clutches of a fierce dragon. Visitors can enjoy a fantastic journey beyond their wildest imaginations…

The Parties
The Granny and Grampa Party on 27 and 28 December
Tibidabo is hosting the fourth edition of the Granny and Grampa Party, giving free entry to all couples made up of a grandparent and a grandchild who come to the Park together.  Thus, the Park would like to honour grandparents as educators of children, which is why we are inviting them to the Park together and to all the rides and shows.
Anybody 60 years or older can also enter the Park for free on these two days.
 
Song for Peace on 29 December
‘Song for Peace’ is a charity party done by the Tibidabo Amusement Park that is in its 21st edition this year. It is one of the oldest parties celebrated at the Park and its aim is to foster values such as tolerance, solidarity and respect among children in a lovely song calling for world peace.
The party will be held on 29 December and on this day couples made up of an adult and a child (up to 14 years old) can enter the Park for free, provided that they arrive before 11.30 am and each make a 2 euro donation to UNICEF (with which the Park has had a collaboration agreement since 2012). Every year, recognised public and cultural figures take part in the party as ‘Ambassadors of Peace’. They help to convey the message to support tolerance, solidarity, respect for children and world peace.     
The boys and girls who visit the Park this day write texts calling for world peace in the ‘Tibidabo Book of Peace’ and the Ambassadors of Peace are in charge of picking some of the messages the kids write and publicising them as spokespersons of the message of peace.  
 

Marionettes are the stars every weekend in October with the 7th edition of the Puppet Show 

The 7th edition of the Tibidabo Puppet Show kicks off Every weekend in October, visitors have got a plan with the fantastic world of marionettes at the Marionetarium at Tibidabo, which will host performances by four renowned companies that all use different puppet techniques and offer shows for families.  The scheduling this year, thanks to the agreement signed with La Rueda Foundation (a non-profit whose mission is to favour social transformation through culture), is focused on education.  This is why the La Rueda Foundation was in charge of coordinating the programming and the companies, continuing with the objectives shared with the park with regard to promoting the performing arts and art as educational tools in entertainment and the fight against social exclusion.  There will also be the traditional hand puppet creation workshop by Tibidabo’s in-house company at the Marionetarium, Herta Frankel, entitled 'From the Egg to the Puppet’.  Puppet Show programme:  7 and 8 October – Tanaka Theatre: ENJOY YOUR MEAL! Exercising and following a balanced diet is essential for being healthy. That is why chef Tomassa welcomes you into her kitchen to tell you two stories starring vegetables.  Discover the magic of cooking and laugh while learning all the secrets of vegetables. After this show, eating cauliflower, carrots and broccoli will be fun. You’ll be licking your fingers!  The two stories are:  • “Miss Vegetable”: Do you want to be in the jury for a vegetable beauty contest?  • “Vegetable Love Story”: Experience a love story as a Shakespearian tragicomedy, where living together inside the pot wins!  12, 14 and 15 October –HERTA FRANKEL Marionetarium : “FROM THE EGG TO THE PUPPET” A workshop to design and construct a hand puppet, for children from 6 to 12 years old. The Herta Frankel Marionetarium, after 20 seasons at Tibidabo performing puppet shows for nearly two million viewers, leads this creative hands-on and symbolic course for boys and girls.  During the workshop, company members work with and guide kids in this design project to build and create a hand puppet. The egg as the origin and structure will take kids through a transformation process, where the combination of simple facial features will decide on each puppet’s expression. The wide range of different shapes will determine their function, and the human pulse will combine skill with the natural occurrence. 21 and 22 October – Teia Moner – ICE STORIES “FROM THE ARCTIC TO ANTARCTICA” A show for the little ones that explains the stories and customs of the inhabitants of the Arctic and Antarctica. The experience will encourage one and all to care for the environment to help stop the thawing occurring in these paradises. The ‘xacrat’ is a bird that flies from the Arctic to Antarctica every year. With him, kids will visit the striking ice temples on Earth at the North Pole and South Pole. The Inuit will reveal all the colours of white and explain the secrets of the Northern Lights. You will meet Didi, a white orca who wanted to have more colours, and Gege, a penguin who wanted to fly. Then you will attend the party of the Ice Queen. And you will befriend a polar bear who is always cold. 28 and 29 October – Animamundi: “THE FROG PRINCE” A very unusual character lives in the pond next to the river. His name is Long-Leg Frog and, like all frogs, he spends the day catching flies, and diving into the pond. The Frog Prince is a light show performed with Chinese shadow puppetry. In the first part of the show, we explain the water cycle using drawings made of sand. In the second part of the show, we encourage boys and girls to discover the life inside a river and its surroundings. At the end, you will discover, thanks to our star Long-Leg Frog, the importance of learning to value and accept yourself how you are.  “The Munster Family”, the new autumn-fear show Autumn blows into Tibidabo with a new closing show: “The Munster Family”, created by Viu el Teatro and based on the famous Munster family, with a frightful staging where fear and fun come together in this theatrical production for the whole family inspired by one of the most iconic series in television history. The four main characters will take you into this strange world full of visual effects and magic, all set to a soundtrack designed especially for the show. A frightfully fun idea! October, the month of healthy eating  The park’s educational vision of healthy eating kicks off for another year with the establishment of October as Healthy Eating Month, and the workshops given by the Alicia Foundation, with whom Tibidabo has had a collaboration agreement since 2014. The purpose is to educate kids about the importance of having a balanced healthy diet via participative workshops taught by a cook and/or an expert.  The aim of these courses—for family members of the Tibiclub—is to encourage healthy eating through cooking, which is why the theoretical-practical contents will handle topics related to this subject.  Workshops: 8 October – SPAGHETTI AND NOODLES Sign up and discover the secret of cooking great spaghetti and noodles… in a 1000 different ways. 15 October – THE FASTEST HEALTHY COOKING AS A FAMILY Healthy dishes that are really fast to make, to share and to cook with the littlest family members.  22 October – ENJOY YOUR MEAL! Learn to use the reuse foods as much as possible to reduce food waste in your family. 29 October – NUTS:  A HANDFUL A DAY! Workshop designed for kids so that they can learn about and enjoy the world of nuts. Where are they located on the food pyramid? How can you eat them and have fun? You’ll learn the answers here.

The 23rd edition of the Big Heart Festival is here and all profits from the festival will be allocated to projects that directly care for people with congenital heart defects 

On Saturday 30 September Tibidabo Amusement Park once again hosted The Big Heart Festival (La Gran Festa del Cor), a charity day to support minors born with heart conditions. This year was the twenty-third edition and it was dedicated to publicising the project of the Catalan Association for Congenital Heart Defects (AACIC per its Catalan acronym): ‘Know your heart, know your body’. The festival started at 10.30 am, in the Panoramic Area, with entertainment by the Santa Coloma de Gramenet batukaires (street percussion band) and castellers (human tower builders), accompanying visitors to Dream Square, where the inaugural act took place at 11.15, centring on the AACIC project this year: ‘Know your heart, know your body’. At 12.30 pm, the hearts were raised into the air in Dream Square. Everybody who was in the square had the chance to participate by holding the hearts up in the air to take a big photo of the celebration and celebrate the start of this charity day. In the afternoon, Dream Square was the site of the dance performance Aladdin by the Mònica Escribà Dance School.  Visitors could also participate in the photography competition on the social networks Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The purpose was for all attendees to depict their experiences of the Big Festival by posting photos with the hashtag #granfestadelcor, competing for a double ticket for next year’s edition. The competition was entirely run and managed by AACIC CorAvant.  Visitors also flocked to the photocall stage for the Big Heart Festival, where they could take photos to publish on the social networks of the AACIC CorAvant. Throughout the day visitors also had the chance to get involved in a workshop for the whole family to create lovely fans, offered by the company Activijoc. Finally, at 6.00 pm, at the Meeting Point in front of the Talaia ride, there was a charity draw of products donated by different organisations. Once again, the event had the collaboration of some 150 volunteers who came to the park to help organise everything.  Figures on congenital heart disease Every week 14 children are born with congenital heart defects. A congenital heart defect is a malformation of the heart’s structure that starts at inception and requires medical supervision throughout life and, often, surgical treatment. Medical advances in recent years now let 90% of children born with this disease reach adulthood, with the mortality rate dropping to 5%. In Catalonia, 40,000 people currently live with congenital heart conditions.  

The work being done in the area of electro-mobility at B:SM was presented, along with the steps planned for the future

On 21 September, Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) hosted the LIVE platform steering committee meeting at its offices on Calle Calàbria, at which the work that B:SM is doing in the area of electro-mobility was presented along with the steps planned for the future. Representing B:SM were Joan Català, head of the Operations Support Centre, Òscar Puigdollers, head of the Research and R&D unit, and Estefania Martinez Lara, from the Research, Development and Innovation department. The meeting was also attended by representatives from Barcelona Activa, Gas Natural Fenosa, TMB, Evectra, Renault and Seat, among others. It also included a tour of B:SM’s new Operations Support Centre.  LIVE is a public-private platform that aims to develop projects, strategic policies and new business models, and create a network of knowledge around sustainable mobility. Its tasks include maintaining and increasing the strategic positioning of Barcelona and its metropolitan area as a centre of excellence within the industry as well as becoming a focal point for public plans and for the public and private sectors. Support is also given to promote the implementation of local and international strategic projects, giving them promotional tools and responding to the needs and interests of the industry. B:SM is involved with the LIVE project as a founding member, with the aim of promoting and enhancing electrical-based mobility within the city.

At midday on Sunday 24 September, there will be a prize-giving ceremony attended by Barcelona City Council’s Environment Councillor, Frederic Ximeno

On 24 September 1892, coinciding with La Mercè festival, Barcelona Zoo opened its doors to the public for the first time. And to celebrate this anniversary, the Zoo would like to invite everyone to join in some special events.  With the help of Nature experts, the Zoo will be running a number of different workshops over the La Mercè weekend (Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September). These will be included in the price of entry and are aimed at giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about native wild flora and fauna.  Visitors will have the opportunity to take part in the following workshops and activities: • A world of feathers:  Bird ringing for scientific purposes. • Rivers of life:  Learn how to determine the quality of water by observing invertebrates that live in it. • Tracking trail:  A trail full of signs that help identify certain vertebrates. • Green lung:  Learn how to identify trees and plants from their leaves and fruit, and their location in the Zoo. • Medicine for conservation:  The practice of tele-injecting - a tool for caring for animals at the Zoo as well as in the wild. • Head under the water:  Look at different types of plankton using magnifying glasses and microscopes. • Fairy-tale geckos and frogs:  Learn about the amphibians and reptiles that live with us in our urban environment. • Night-time view:  Meet the insects that come out when it turns dark. In putting together all the activities and workshops listed above, Barcelona Zoo was supported by the Catalan Institute of Ornithology, the Galanthus Association, the Corredor School of Nature, Badalona’s School of the Sea and the Spectacular Invertebrates II Exhibition. Further information at: www.zoobarcelona.cat

More than 260,000 people will be able to use the new app

This September 2017, Barcelona de Serveis Municipals SA (B:SM) is launching a new app - ONaparcar residents - exclusively for residents living in the AREA zone. This app will allow residents with an AREA card to use their mobile phone to pay for surface parking in areas where they are authorised. Within the city of Barcelona anyone registered as living within the city’s AREA zone is entitled to park at preferential rates if they own or are the normal driver of a vehicle based at the address in Barcelona city and have previously applied for their AREA card. Around 260,000 people are now eligible to benefit from this new app and of these around 80,000 are regular users of channels that have existed thus far: ie parking meters and the AREA website. From now on, users resident within the city’s AREA zone have a third way to pay that facilitates and simplifies management of their resident parking tickets: the ONaparcar residents app.  This new tool aims to align services with the needs of residents living within the regulated zone and offer a more efficient and easier way of managing surface parking for these residents whilst helping to reduce city pollution caused by local traffic. The launch of this new app is part of B:SM’s objective - through the AREA Operational Unit - to encourage better distribution of on-street parking spaces, make it easier for residents within areas that lack parking most, slow down traffic and congestion within the central area, and reduce the poor discipline that impacts the efficient use of the road network. With the launch of this new app, Barcelona joins other major European cities that have invested in new technologies to improve the management of residents' parking. For Barcelona, the distinguishing feature is that it has decided to develop its own app, aimed exclusively at residents within the AREA zone. This completes an initiative aimed at aligning services managed by B:SM’s AREA Operational Unit with the needs of citizens and users, which had started with the 2013 launch of the apparkB app to manage rotation parking within the blue and green areas, and the 2015 AreaDUM app to manage parking within the urban freight distribution areas.

The VIRTUAL EXPRESS attraction will be this summer’s new sensation and another example of the Park's commitment to innovation and the most pioneering technology 

Virtual Express is a new virtual reality adventure that has never been experienced before. It’s a pioneering technology that has arrived in Catalonia for the first time at Tibidabo Amusement Park and is a clear signal of the Park's commitment to innovation. The classic Tibidabo Express has been transformed into two attractions in one: the much-loved train and a virtual reality trip that allows those trying it out to experience feelings that will be totally new, surpassing all expectation.  Tibidabo’s socially-responsible summer Barcelona City Council announced the summer initiative Tibidabo Solidari to give centres with limited resources and/or special needs the chance to enjoy the amusement park. So far, more than 4000 children have enjoyed this initiative and it is expected that by 10 September almost 6900 children will have benefitted. This social responsibility initiative falls within the activities that the Park carries out throughout the year as part of its social commitment programme. We also highlight that since the start of the season, users of Barcelona’s Targeta Rosa card have been given free access to the Amusement Park.   New record number of visitors to the Park Tibidabo Amusement Park continues to see visitor numbers increase and hit a new record in July with 133,486 visitors - a 16% increase over last year. So far, the Park has had a total of 376,961 visitors - 8% more than in the same period last year. Over 4000 children at risk have already enjoyed their free visits thanks to the Tibidabo Solidari initiative which is expected to benefit 6900 children by the time it ends on 10 September.   New mapping night-time show  This summer, visitors can enjoy a new night-time closing show that combines the most advanced laser and mapping techniques and starring the Park mascots. The Park’s Plaça dels Somnis (Dream Square) has again been converted into a unique space for enjoying a nightly spectacle especially designed for this season, and featuring the city of Barcelona and its landmarks as the backdrop for Ti, Bi, Da and Bo’s adventures.  The return of l’Avió aeroplane, the new Collserola bird race and the interactive water fountains liven up the Panoramic Area  Tibidabo Amusement Park Panoramic Area - in the upper area of the Park ¬- can be freely accessed. This year, a number of different events have been held with the aim of boosting this area which has also been enhanced with the return of the mythical l’Avió aeroplane ride, following its restoration. The return of the new-look L’Avió aeroplane has been eagerly awaited this summer season.