The Spanish Association of Public Parks and Gardens Awards the Málaga Garden of Remembrance

The Málaga City Council has been recognized by the Spanish Association of Public Parks and Gardens (AEPJP) with the award for the best initiative in biodiversity development in unique spaces for the Jardín del Recuerdo at the San Gabriel cemetery (Parcemasa). The award ceremony took place during the 51st National Congress of Public Parks and Gardens held in Marbella.

According to the jury, the Jardín del Recuerdo is "a proposal that moves and transforms the way we understand the landscape and memory." This is evident as this space, facilitated by the City Council in 2016 where families can deposit the ashes of a loved one under the tree they feel most connected to, features nearly fifty different species of trees.

An example of this wide and varied botanical diversity is that in this green area there are poplars, cork oaks, carob trees, walnut trees, orange trees, fig trees, jacarandas, oaks, willows, olive trees, and strawberry trees, among others. Specifically, on the past 30th, the book 'Jardín del Recuerdo de Málaga: Trees for Eternity' was presented, edited by Parcemasa, which compiles the botanical and scientific characteristics of the tree species in this space located next to the main entrance of San Gabriel. Through this work, botanists Enrique Salvo Tierra, Rafael Guerrero Gómez, Rocío Guerrero del Río, and Pablo Cozano provide a description of each of the species, explain their etymology, detail their main uses and properties, and refer to the symbolism and beliefs associated with each one. The book is available for free at Parcemasa and can be consulted in municipal libraries.

The Jardín del Recuerdo was planned as part of the municipal strategy to naturalize the San Gabriel cemetery by creating a green lung that not only contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gases but also enhances biodiversity. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the Málaga Cemetery Park has the arboretum accreditation granted by the International Arbnet Association for the conservation of tree species both in the Jardín del Recuerdo and in other green and forest spaces of the complex, being the only European cemetery with such a distinction.