The Community of Madrid has presented a decalogue of good practices to contribute to the preservation of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, a space that celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and has 2.5 million visitors annually.
Among the recommendations established by the regional government include preparing the route in advance and going well supplied with clothing, food and drink; walk only on forest tracks and trails; park in the authorized places, leaving the accesses free for emergencies; and do not light fire or circulate with motor vehicles. Likewise, in case of incidents, the importance of calling 112 is reiterated.
The decalogue also recalls that, in addition to the attention center located in Peñalara, anyone who wants to tour this enclave has those of Valle de la Fuenfría, La Pedriza and Valle de El Paular, along with the information points of Valsaín or Canto Cochino . Likewise, there is a service of environmental educators who offer an interpretation of the environment and its values, as well as free activities adapted to different levels of preparation during the weekends.
The Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and the Interior, Carlos Novillo, from the Peñalara information point, encouraged citizens to continue enjoying this environment but “always complying with the necessary safety regulations, with respect for flora and fauna autochthonous, and following the advice of the forest agents”.
The Sierra de Guadarrama National Park occupies an area of ??33,960 hectares, of which almost 64% correspond to the Community of Madrid and slightly more than the remaining 36% belong to Segovia, in Castilla y León. Species of great environmental value live here, such as the black vulture, the red partridge, the mountain goat or the wolf, and there are more than a thousand plant species, of which 83 are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula.
