On a permanent basis, the XCN supports the work of organizations that develop environmental volunteer programs. Specifically:

• We promote campaigns and initiatives that promote the involvement of citizens in environmental volunteering
• We provide visibility, training and advice to organizations that have environmental volunteer activities and programs

Citizen involvement in environmental volunteering

To involve the public in environmental volunteering, various actions are promoted:

• Through the website www.voluntariatambiental.cat, environmental volunteering proposals which are organized by environmental entities are exposed. The activities are open to everyone’s participation.
• An environmental volunteer newsletter is sent out periodically.
• Occasional campaigns are carried out to promote environmental volunteer activities.

Training and advice

We work to support environmental organizations that promote environmental volunteering, so that volunteer activities are carried out with the right quality, stability and professionalism.

To achieve this, we perform different actions:

• Advice and support in the drafting and implementation of Volunteering Plans.
• Training about the Law of Volunteering and application of Volunteering Plans.

The stewardship inventory of the territory is a collection of stewardship initiatives, both public and private, existing in Catalonia. It has been published by the Network for the Conservation of Nature since 2003 and with a periodicity of 2-3 years, thanks to the disinterested collaboration of the custodians, who provide the necessary data for its elaboration.

The main objective of the inventory is to analyse the current situation and the temporary progression of the movement of land stewardship in Catalonia. It is aimed mainly at land stewardship entities and public administrations, but also at other third sector entities, owners and managers of rural properties, as well as citizens interested in nature conservation.

Stewardship inventory 2019

Here are the most relevant data from the 2019 inventory

700 stewardship initiatives	447 private	253 public
63 entities	42 private	21 public
39.339 ha in stewardship	56,1% in private property

174 new initiatives with respect to 2017

Area of the initiatives	5,4 ha (*)	Between 0,01 ha and 5.464 ha
Duration of the contracts/agreements	10 years (*)	Between 1 and 99 years
Nº of initiatives per entity	3 initiatives (*)	Between 1 and 78 initiatives

The Health and Nature Table is a pioneering platform in our country that works for the conservation of nature as a guarantor of our health and well-being. At the same time, it works on its promotion as a health asset in a wide range of fields, both in terms of prevention and therapy.

The Table has a driving force formed by the Departament de Salut and the Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Advisory Council for the Sustainable Development (CADS), the Diputació de Barcelona, ICTA-UAB, ISGlobal, the Nature Conservation Network (XCN) and DKV insurance.

The Table has a broad vision and support from organizations, with a high interest in getting involved in the various working groups and pilot tests. Work is currently underway to advance the implementation of pilot tests related to the different areas of work.

Environmental Donor is a platform that facilitates donations to environmental organizations and conservation projects carried out in Catalonia.

With the hashtag #josócdonantambiental it transmits the ability of people to contribute to the defence of nature, getting involved in time in the form of volunteering (redirected to the portal www.voluntariatambiental.cat) or making financial contributions, materials or services provided.

The initiative was launched in 2016 by the Obrador del Tercer Sector Ambiental de Catalunya (O3SAC) and has been managed by the XCN since 2018 with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

• Environmental Donor offers a showcase of projects with which citizens and companies can decide to get involved by making a donation. 

• It presents successful experiences of donations, collaborations between citizens, companies and entities.

• Encourage donation campaigns, such as creating charity events or tracking online campaigns.

• Ultra Clean Marathon, Nature Lunch and Giving Tuesday are experiences linked to Environmental Donor.

With the hashtag #josócdonantambiental it transmits the ability of people to contribute to the defence of nature, getting involved in time in the form of volunteering (redirected to the portal www.voluntariatambiental.cat) or making financial contributions, materials or services provided.

• Webpage: www.donantambiental.cat
• Contact: scarrera@xcn.cat
• Contact person: Sandra Carrera – Anna Parisi
• Tweet hashtags:  #josócdonantambiental #donantambiental

The Ultra Clean Marathon is a sport challenge that aims to raise awareness and citizens mobilization, reduce waste in natural spaces and promote nature conservation measures, while seeking the commitment of people who practice sports in nature in order to take care of the environment, both individually and when participating in organized competitions, which must be sustainable.

At the same time, it also wants to recognize the work of environmental organizations working in the country.

It is organized jointly by the Xarxa per a la Conservació de la Natura, l’Agència de Residus de Catalunya i el Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat.

2020 Edition

The 2020 edition of the Ultra Clean Marathon will be held on the 6^th of June. It will be a one-day race of 60 km, from Terrassa to Barcelona.

Registration will be by teams, with a maximum of 10 people (taking replacement in sections). A minimum of 2 runners must participate for each section.

The registration of the teams will go entirely to the environmental entities.

2019 Edition

The 2^nd edition of this race was held in 2019. A total of 4,000 people took part in this edition, collecting almost 3 tonnes of waste. The race lasted 7 days, in which various sports were combined (running, cycling and kayaking). It passed through different demarcations of Catalonia, combining mountain, inland and coastal landscapes. Each stage was organized with the support of schools, local governments and businesses, as well as environmental organizations working in the area.

The UCM also highlights the daily work of more than a hundred environmental organizations in Catalonia in favour of nature.

Edition 2018

The 1^st edition of the UCM was weld between the 13 and 19 of May. During 7 days, there were 7 marathons running and collecting waste (295 km in total). Albert Bosch and Nicole Ribera, ambassadors of the race, completed the 7 stages of the UCM.

In this edition it participated around 2,000 people, who collected a total of 2 tons of waste.

The race passed through areas of high value in Catalonia in terms of landscape and nature, highlighting the environmental organizations that work in the area to conserve the spaces.

What is it?

The Week of the Nature is a campaign aimed at promoting activities throughout Catalonia to raise awareness of the importance of caring for our nature and our territory.

When is it?

It is celebrated annually to coincide with World Environment Day (June 5). It usually lasts about 10 days.

Who does it involve? Who can participate?

The Week of the Nature seeks the involvement of everyone, because we can all act for nature. During the week there are activities for all audiences, from the youngest to the oldest.

The 2019 edition

In the 2019 edition, which took place from 1st to 9th June, more than 400 activities were organized throughout Catalonia, with the help of more than 260 organizations.