The University of La Laguna joined the European campaign today, Friday, September 18. EUTreeTag 2026, The campaign aims to highlight the environmental and social benefits of urban trees, especially mature specimens. The academic institution is the only one in the Canary Islands participating in this edition of the campaign, which is held every two years and is in its second year.
The participation of the University of La Laguna stemmed from a proposal by Clemente de Nicolás Lozano, a member of the Parks and Gardens Department, who proposed incorporating the institution into this European action as a way to bring the value of trees beyond their ornamental function closer to the university community.
This year's EUTreeTag campaign will identify over a thousand trees across 278 European cities. The installed tags provide information on some of the ecosystem services offered by each tree or group of trees, such as stored carbon dioxide, oxygen production, and the amount of runoff they can retain, calculated using the i-Tree tool.
At the University of La Laguna, the Parks and Gardens Department has selected eleven trees, distributed across different areas, for their current and future value to the community. The initiative aims, however, to use these trees as a representation of the institution's overall plant heritage and its contribution to health and well-being.
De Nicolás explained that the university service considered it important to join the campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of trees beyond the well-known ones, such as providing shade or improving the landscape. The initiative's promoter noted that trees sometimes cause inconveniences related to falling leaves or the proximity of branches to buildings, but pointed out that, on particularly hot days, "everyone seeks shade under a tree.".
Therefore, he emphasized the need to preserve larger trees, as they provide greater coverage. “It’s not about having many more trees, but about having more tree cover. Large trees that provide shade and reduce the heat a little, which we seem to be noticing more and more,” he pointed out.
The Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Infrastructure at the University of La Laguna, Marta Domínguez, highlighted the environmental, social, and emotional value of these natural elements during the event. “There is nothing more human than paying homage to a tree,” she stated, before emphasizing the importance of making their role visible in promoting more coherent urban planning.
Domínguez argued for the necessity of designing future urban developments and cities with the presence of trees in mind from the outset, ensuring that trees have suitable growing conditions, can utilize water resources, and provide shade. The vice-rector added that this planning of green spaces also contributes to reducing the carbon footprint and creating urban areas better prepared for rising temperatures.
Eleven trees scattered across the campuses
The selected specimens are located in various parts of the institution. On the Central Campus, a Canary Island pine in the chapel courtyard, an avocado tree on the main staircase, and a seedling near the Faculty Building have been chosen. Also included in the campaign are a seedling from the Faculty of Pharmacy, a ficus from the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering, a snake tree and a weeping willow from the Faculty of Medicine, a tipuana and an olive tree from the Guajara Campus, and a flamboyant tree from the Nautical Department.
The EUTreeTag labels also allow users to locate the trees on the campaign map and access information associated with each one. The initiative carried out on September 18th also included sharing photos and videos of the participating trees to contribute to the joint European campaign.
EUTreeTag is promoted by thirteen European organizations specializing in urban trees and, in Spain, is supported by the Arbocity Association. The University of La Laguna's participation is also part of its 2025-2027 Environmental Sustainability Plan, within the section dedicated to information and awareness-raising on biodiversity, and is linked to Sustainable Development Goals 13, Climate Action, and 15, Life on Land.
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