2008

Exposition in Colonial Queretaro City
"The heart of Mexico, The Sierra Gorda of Queretaro A World Biosphere Reserve"
November 08 - March 09

A major exposition of the Sierra Gorda in the beautiful historic center of Queretaro City, Mexico.
Elena Baca Suquet, Jorán Martínez & Ruben O. Navarrete : Three artists interpret the beauty and biodiversity of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve of Queretaro State in a three month exhibit of an all weather interpretive collection of 97 images along the fence of the Alameda Hidalgo, in the historic center of Queretaro City, an outstanding site of UNESCO´s Cultural World Heritage. The maps and information of this outdoor museum of the natural heritage and civil movement for conservation will raise awareness and interest in protecting the northern third of the state.
Come visit the Sierra Gorda on a guided tour with our partners, Sierra Gorda Ecotours (www.sierragorda.net), and stay in the natural sanctuaries that are protected and managed by the local people. The exhibit is only an introduction. Announcement in Earth Island Journal´s latest edition: http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/earth_island_project_reports20/

BBVA Foundation Prize for Acts of Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America to the Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda

The jury of the BBVA Foundation Prize for Acts of Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America conceded the prize that recognizes work carried out by non-profit entities to the Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda for its Management Program for the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve (Mexico), “for demonstrating that biodiversity conservation generates wealth and well-being to the local population. The original and innovative activities carried out have permitted gaining important environmental objectives while there is a parallel improvement in the lives of the inhabitants of the area.”  Roberto Pedraza Muñoz, co-founder and Executive Director of the Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda received the $250,000.00 (euro) prize in Madrid, Spain.

Click to read the official news bulletin

Crossed Wires or a Threatened Paradise?

One branch of Mexico’s government seems not to have gotten the memo about the country’s most valuable protected area.


Mexico has nominally protected some tracts of its vast and diverse natural heritage for nearly a century, but only in recent decades have its governments taken strong action to back up the legal designation of ‘Natural Protected Area’ with resources, personnel and clear management plans. Current President Felipe Calderón has been especially energetic, expanding both the acreages under protection and the budget of the country’s National Commission for Protected Areas. So observers have been unsettled to discover recently that one branch of the Calderón administration appears to be out of the progressive loop, and is now threatening an area many consider to be the crown jewel in Mexico’s system of protected habitats.

full article

EVENT

Carnaval 2008 San Francisco, California

LA ZONA VERDE May 24th and 25th in The Mission

Viva Sierra Gorda shared a booth with Earth Island Institute in the Green Zone (La Zona Verde) during the Carnaval this year, educating the public about the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve and the civil conservation movement taking place to protect and restore the region.  We had eight volunteers at the booth who helped raise awareness, gave out materials and collected donations, sold the Viva Sierra Gorda t-shirt and collected signatures on a petition to protest a major threat to the integrity of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve (click here to learn more).  Thanks to our volunteers outreach made a difference to the San Francisco and the Sierra Gorda community.

Viva Sierra Gorda is co-sponsoring at the World Birding Center in McAllen Texas an exhibition of original paintings by Dana Gardner (http://www.partnersinflight.org/events/mcallen/) featuring charismatic birds in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve native vegetation. Join us in McAllen, Texas, February 14 – 17th when Dana Gardner will present his original watercolor illustrations of charismatic birds of the Sierra Gorda and Northeast of Mexico .

In January, the International Foundations for Indigenous Peoples (http://www.internationalfunders.org/) will hold its first meeting outside the USA, in Queretaro Mexico, home of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve. Sierra Gorda´s grassroots partners are both participants and destinations for the attendees.