Liam Kirkaldy (Reporter)
HALLOWEEN may only just have passed, but for one Estepona ecological association – which offers living Christmas trees for rent – work is just starting to hot up.
Rather than selling trees which have been chopped down, and must be disposed of at the end of the season, the pro-environmental group rents out Christmas trees, which can be cared for and then replanted.
The organisation, Naturbellsa, which is based in Extramadura but has a branch in Estepona, is currently preparing its trees for the Christmas market.
The group currently has around 100 Spanish fir trees in Estepona, some of which are already ear-marked for families, who can get the same Christmas tree every year.
Though the scheme is largely driven with conservation in mind, with prices ranging between €15-30, renting a tree over Christmas is also cheaper than buying one.
The Spanish fir – considered the national tree of Andalucia – is under threat from fire, urban encroachment and erosion.
A living tree also brings the advantage of not shedding pines, and can also help teach young people about the environment.
This is great, do you have any contact details for the company? I have tried to find them online, but i cannot see any way to get hold of them. Please help.