Las Moreras Orchard

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Sevilla (FUA)

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Huerta las Moreras

Short description of the intervention

Recreation and Educational orchards were created as part of the Miraflores Park interventions and rehabilitation. These orchards were available for public use and had educational programs where the children would learn and cultivate the land. The Orchards were formed of four separate programs: Huertos Escolares (School Orchards), Huertos de Ocio (Leisure Orchards), Educational Itineraries, and Youth Greenhouse. (Ref 4)

Address

Parque Miraflores
Sevilla
Spain

Location

Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Public Greenspace Area

Website of the intervention

https://huertalasmoreras.wordpress.com/

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

pre-1990

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

1992

End date of the intervention

2015

Present stage of the intervention

Completed and archived or cancelled

Please specify "other" stage of the intervention

The orchards are part of the Miraflores Park intervention which was actively pursued in the 1963 City Plan. (Ref 3)
The orchards operated for over 20 years but as of 2015/2016 faced closure. (Ref 7,8) There is citizen mobilization petitioning for their re-opening (Ref 7) but as of 2019, the orchards still seem to be under the management of the Sevilla City Council (Ref 8).

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

- Facilitate knowledge of the environment through experience to increase the awareness of inter-relations of the physical surroundings and human activity. Thus, strengthening individual commitments and actions toward the environment. (Ref. 5)
- Promote bio-agriculture, encouraging the use of local resources, renewable energies and organic waste. (Ref. 5)
- Development of a cooperative working structure of solidarity and collectivist to encourage participatory decision processes. (Ref. 5)
- Empower citizen participation in the General Project of the Miraflores Park. (Ref. 5)
- Promote the rehabilitation and knowledge of the identity of agricultural-history of the residents of the Macarena district. (Ref. 5)
- Have members act toward the defense of the environment. (Ref. 5)
- Upkeep the orchard/ gardens as a type of eco-museum for the cultivation activities that have been ongoing. (Ref. 5)

Quantitative targets

Unknown

Monitoring indicators defined

Unknown

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Habitat and biodiversity conservation

Green space creation and/or management

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Inclusive governance

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Social justice and equity

Social interaction

Environmental education

Environmental and climate justice

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Economic development: agriculture

Cultural heritage and cultural diversity

Preservation of natural heritage

Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Preservation of historic traditions

Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)

Sustainable consumption

Sustainable production

Please specify other climate change mitigation goal

Please specify "other Climate change mitigation activity"

- Promote bio-agriculture, encouraging the use of local resources, renewable energies and organic waste. (Ref. 5)

Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Ecosystem-focused

Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Protect species

Take measures for ex situ conservation

Means for conservation governance

Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use

Raise public awareness

Public engagement

Capacity building

Please specify "other Type of NBS project"

- Promote the rehabilitation and knowledge of the identity of agricultural-history of the residents of the Macarena district. (Ref. 5)

Implementation activities

1963- Plans begin in the City organizational plan (PGOU) (Ref 3)
1991- Start of the School Orchards program (Ref 1)
School gardens used for primary school garden education (Ref 4)
150 m2 of leisure gardens for the elderly in the neighborhood (Ref 4)
Educational itineraries for visiting schoolchildren (Ref 4)
Greenhouse for further green education for the youth (Ref 4)
2015/2016- Orchards closed by the municipality (Ref 7,8)

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Knowledge creation and awareness raising

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Parks and urban forests

Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Community gardens and allotments

Allotments

Community gardens

Horticulture

Nature in buildings (indoor)

Other

Please specify "other green indoor area"

Greenhouse for further green education for the youth (Ref 4)

Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens

180 (Ref 6)

Vegetation Type

Please specify how many trees were planted

unspecified

Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS

- Upkeep the orchard/ gardens as a type of eco-museum for the cultivation activities that have been ongoing. (Ref. 5)

Amenities offered by the NBS

Other

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)

Raw materials

Genetic materials from all biota

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Maintenance of genetic diversity

Cultural services

Recreation

Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)

Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals

Social and community interactions

Other

Please specify "other cultural service"

communal living and participatory structure--- Development of a cooperative working structure of solidarity and collectivist to encourage participatory decision processes. (Ref. 5)
- Empower citizen participation in the General Project of the Miraflores Park. (Ref. 5)
- Promote the rehabilitation and knowledge of the identity of agricultural-history of the residents of the Macarena district. (Ref. 5)
- Have members act toward the defense of the environment. (Ref. 5)

Scale

Spatial scale

Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Citizens or community groups

Marginalized groups

Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)

Young people and children

Marginalized groups

Elderly people

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Led by non-government actors

Non-government actors

Citizens or community groups

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

Pro-Educational Miraflores Park Committee- development of the socio-educational program at the orchard. (Ref 3)
City council of Sevilla (Ayuntamiento)- The orchards are in a park that is municipal land (Ref 3); provided funding (Ref 3)
AMPAs (Associations of Mothers and Fathers) - Schools coordination for participation in the educational program at the orchards. (Ref 1)
Management and decision making of the orchards is done by an assembly composed of members who use the orchards and by a representative of each of the orchard's programs. (Ref 3)
5 permanent members were chosen as representatives that organized acting on the necessities of the orchard and solutions to issues. (Ref 3)

Key actors - initiating organization

Citizens or community group

District/neighbourhood association

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Local government/municipality

Public sector institution

Citizens or community group

District/neighbourhood association

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Taskforce groups

Dissemination of information and education

Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Co-management/Joint management

Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

1963 PGOU (Urban organizational plan) defines the limits for the construction of the park. (only executed 20 years later) (Ref 3)

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Mandatory (based on policy)

Intervention is mandatory

Spatial planning guidance

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Please specify other vegetation type

orchard/ gardens as a type of eco-museum(Ref. 5)
Greenhouse (Ref 4)
bio-agriculture, use of local resources, renewable energies and organic waste. (Ref. 5)
orchards (Ref 4)

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

51 000 euros granted in 2012 by the Sevilla city council. (Ref 3)

Co-finance for NBS

Unknown

Co-financing governance arrangements

Unknown

Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?

Unknown

Financing

Total cost

€50,000 - €100,000

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown

What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?

Unknown

What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?

Unknown

Please specify cost savings

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

In 2012 the Sevilla City council upon agreement with the Pro-Miraflores Park committee granted it 51 000 euros for the continuation of the educational programs at the orchard. (Ref 3)

Original costs of the intervention and upkeep costs were not found.

Source(s) of funding

Public local authority budget

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Yes

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of land

Provision of goods

Provision of labour

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Please specify other Business model

citizen engagement/cooperation: - Empower citizen participation in the General Project of the Miraflores Park. (Ref. 5); - Development of a cooperative working structure of solidarity and collectivist to encourage participatory decision processes. (Ref. 5)

Business models

Local stewardship model

Green education model

Green heritage model

Other

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

Citizens / local communities

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Social

Governance innovation

Cultural innovation

Novelty level of the innovation

The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

The intervention fits within the larger context of the Miraflores park intervention, however the orchards were one of its main settings for citizen education and participation. (ref 5)

Replicability/Transferability

Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

The intervention is cited as a good example of citizen participation in studies and newspaper articles. (Ref unknown from 2017)

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Description of environmental benefits

Achieved Impacts:
Green Space Creation
- 180 orchards/ gardens (Ref 6)
-150 m2 of leisure gardens for the elderly in the neighborhood (Ref 4)

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown

Please specify other environmental justice issue

- Have members act toward the defense of the environment. (Ref. 5)
- Promote bio-agriculture, encouraging the use of local resources, renewable energies and organic waste. (Ref. 5)

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Achieved impacts

Indicators

Number of orchards/gardens (Ref 6); Area of gardens [m2] (Ref 4); Number of plots used for educational purposes (Ref 4); Educational activities (Ref 4)

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Cultural heritage and cultural diversity

Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

Voluntary work opportunities

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Improved access to green and/or blue spaces

Increased access to healthy food for humans and/or animals

Other

Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

- Management and decision making of the orchards is done by an assembly composed of members who use the orchards and by a representative of each of the orchard's programs. (Ref 3)

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

N/A since orchards were closed in late 2015/ early 2016

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

No evidence in public records

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Other

Unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

Unknown

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Citizen involvement

Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation

Yes

Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

Focus Group

Other

Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment

Community planning meetings for the orchards (3); - Management and decision making of the orchards is done by an assembly composed of members who use the orchards and by a representative of each of the orchard's programs. (Ref 3)

Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation

Unknown

Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment

Unknown

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

IU reclama a Espadas que “no dé la espalda” a los huertos urbanos de Miraflores…

Huerta de las Moreras, 20 años sembrando conocimiento

Documents relevant to the intervention

Attachment	Size
Ref 1 (560.72 KB)	560.72 KB

List of references

1. Asociacion Comite Pro-Parque Miraflores. (2010). Proyecto de Educacion Medioambiental Huertos Escolares. [Document provided].
2. Ayuntamiento de Sevilla. (2012). convenio-colaboracion-programa-huerta-las-moreras.pdf. [Not available in 2020].
3. Escuela Agrícola Urbana Huerta Las Moreras. (2010). ¿Quiénes somos? Available at: https://huertalasmoreras.wordpress.com/nuestros-proyectos-2/ [Accessed: 1 October 2020].
4. Sevilla Ciudad. (n.d.). Huerta de las Moreras, 20 años sembrando conocimiento. Available at: http://sevillaciudad.sevilla.abc.es/noticias/norte/sociedad-norte/huerta-de-las-moreras-20-anos-sembrando-conocimiento/ [Accessed: 1 October 2020].
5. Soledad Pascual Ortiz, M., Cifuentes Ochoa, M., & Gómez Muñoz, G. (1997). Programa Huerta Las Moreras en el Parque Miraflores, Sevilla (España). Available at: http://habitat.aq.upm.es/boletin/n1/amiraflo.html [Accessed: 1 October 2020].
6. Sevilla Buenas Noticias. (2019). En el Huerto de Las Moreras, el primer fruto que se recoge es el apoyo. Available at: https://sevillabuenasnoticias.com/en-el-huerto-de-las-moreras-el-primer-fruto-que-se-recoge-es-el-apoyo/ [Accessed: 1 October 2020]
7. Huerta Las Moreras. (2016). Huerta Las Moreras. Twitter page. Available at: https://twitter.com/huertamoreras?lang=en [Accessed: 1 October 2020].
8. El Topo. (2019). HUERTA LAS MORERAS: BELLEZA Y COMPLEJIDAD DE LA GESTIÓN VECINAL. Available at: https://eltopo.org/huerta-las-moreras-belleza-y-complejidad-de-la-gestion-vecinal/ [Accessed: 1 October 2020].

Comments and notes

Comments

2020 comments:
Section 4/ Financial Information: information is supported by Ref 3, however this information cannot be found on Ref 3 as of October 2020

Section 3/ Plots for leisure: 160 lots that range from 150m2 to 75m2, used for horticultural or floral garden. (Ref Unknown) - other sources state 120 (Ref 5) or 180 (Ref 6)

Additional insights

2020 comments:
The orchards were closed in late 2015/ early 2016 and remain closed to the public. They are currently prone to vandalism and poor maintenance (Ref Unknown), but have citizen mobilization petitioning for their re-opening (Ref 7). As of 2019, the orchards still seem to be under the management of the Sevilla City Council (Ref 8).

Pictures of the NBS

/sites/default/files/nbs/images/1012897_764626836894648_226699663_n.jpg

Public Images

Source: Ref. 7

Source: Ref. 7

Source: Ref. 7