The week kicked off with a co-creation workshop at CEIP Cristo del Consuelo titled “Designing Schools for Children”, where students and educators worked together to reimagine greener, more inclusive school environments.
On March 19, participants took part in a guided walking tour called “Experience Urban Nature: The Arboreal Legacy”, which explored Cieza’s monumental trees and showcased the biodiversity woven into the town’s urban fabric.
To celebrate the International Day of Forests (March 21), and aligned with the initiative “Weaving Neighborhoods, Threading Lives”, a symbolic tree planting was held at Cabezo de la Fuensantilla. The event marked Cieza’s first experience with “planter sponsorship”, where families and local organizations commit to caring for newly planted trees, encouraging a long-term sense of community stewardship.
The festival concluded on March 24 with tree plantings at the Miguel de Cervantes and Madre del Divino Pastor schools. These hands-on activities engaged students directly in environmental action and served to commemorate World Environment Day.
Throughout the week, the municipality also launched a social media awareness campaign to highlight Cieza’s monumental and unique trees. Each post featured the story of a specific tree, including its botanical characteristics, location, and historical significance. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response, the city plans to continue sharing these stories to showcase and raise awareness about the rich arboreal heritage catalogued across the municipality.
This first edition of the BiodiverCity Festival successfully blended science, health, education, and creativity, sparking both awareness and a shared sense of responsibility for protecting urban biodiversity in Cieza
