Pagoeta Park

It is known the abundance of places of great natural wealth that exist in our Basque Country. And of course, many of them are almost unknown to most. Today we want to stop at one of them, the Pagoeta Park.
Ferrería de Agorregi.

Getting to Pagoeta Park is not complicated. Pagoeta is located in the massif, near the sea and with the slopes one to the North and another to the South. The massif is located in the municipality of Aia. To access it, at the top of the road from Orio to Zarautz, you must take the road to Ayala. Before reaching the village, and along the way, we will find car parks to approach the park from different places. Another option would be to take the road from Villabona to Aia.

In the 1950s, the land that currently makes up the park passed into the hands of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. The area of these lands is approximately 1,000 hectares, being dressed in native and replanted forests. These plantations have been made by placing leafy and resinous trees in mixed bands, in order to ensure their growth and adaptation. The objective of these repopulations is the long-term regeneration of the natural forest, that is, the development of beech, oak and its associated species. You can see a closed vegetation impregnated with short distance streams and numerous corners rich in plants and animals. Hunting is a refuge that can house foxes, wild boars, badgers, hedgehogs, squirrels, wilds, hawks, etc. Moreover, in these areas we can find ironworks, mills, hamlets, refrigerators, caleras, etc. On the other hand, livestock stands out, as cows grow on one side of the park.

In some places there are play areas, walking paths, dining tables, chairs, crematoria, numerous fields, etc. Hence the popularity of the park.

Finally, mention the pedagogical aspect of this article. To work in this field, on the one hand, there are some routes prepared by the park and on the other two hamlets conditioned for it. One of them is prepared as a Classroom of Nature, in which there are explanatory panels of the fauna and natural characteristics of the environment, as well as objects of observation and contact. The other farmhouse has become a refuge for sleeping and other recreational activities.

The minimum objectives of this training program can be summarized in:

  • Locate and know the environment (vegetation, animals, landscapes,...) using an active methodology.
  • Increased respect for the natural environment.
  • Encourage teamwork among students.
  • Encourage teachers to prepare actions in this environment.
  • Working together between teachers and students.
Pagasoro.

Activities 6. They are aimed at Primary Education students and are held in two-day shifts.

These activities are based on nature walks, chosen according to the points of interest. The tour is completed with the aforementioned exhibitions and recreational activities related to what was learned during the day.

Students, among many other things, learn to differentiate the different types of trees in this area, to distinguish the remains of wild animals, to use the compass and to observe the plants.

The excursion ends with the sharing of what was learned and lived in the parks for two days, leaving the complementary activities as an interdisciplinary task of the center.

In addition to these activities, others are organized aimed at groups such as the School of Teachers, active teachers and groups with rest. Monographic courses are also organised. Special education groups usually have two-day excursions and one-day excursions for adult continuing education.

As already indicated, the Pagoeta Park belongs to the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the activities carried out therein are the responsibility of an educational team of the Diocesan School of Magisterium of San Sebastian.

The educational team consists of four teachers of Environmental Education, a graduate in Biology (project director) and another person who works in the order of the two hamlets.

Stream of Erroizpe.

Knowing that this experience has only begun, all the aid is profitable. Therefore, both teachers and students, we conduct surveys to collect opinions and criticisms that help improve our educational project.

However, all these tours and circuits, listening to the birds, inflating the lungs with clean air, are open to all nature lovers and walkers who want to spend a few hours with the taste that feels for the wild aspect of this "nature reserve", which houses so many beasts and plants.

And if time goes by, from the cross of Pagoeta you can see the limits of our country: Larrun and Aiako Harria in the North, Aizkorri in the South, Anboto and Udalaitz in the Southwest.

Pagoeta Park is an excellent plan to spend the day.

Babesleak
Eusko Jaurlaritzako Industria, Merkataritza eta Turismo Saila