To thank the members of the brigades of the National Forestry Commission, National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, Secretary of Agricultural Development of the State of Querétaro, SEDENA, Civil Protection, our colleagues of the Valle Verde-GESG-World Land Trust Brigade, the Municipality of Landa de Matamoros and volunteers for their work in controlling the fire that burned in the last days of March in the vicinity of Acatitlán de Zaragoza, in pine-oak forests. Fortunately, the cloud forests on the other side, with their rare and threatened magnolias, were minimally affected on the surface, and our colleagues broke through and stood guard to defend them.

On Tuesday, March 5th at GESG’s facilities we began first aid training for members of the lodging network and regional community guides.
We are grateful to Fomento Social Citibanamex for financing the workshop “First aid in remote places” given by instructor Rogelio Hardy Castro of Sierra Aventura Mexico.
With this new knowledge, we are able to ensure that the establishments that are part of our network provide their tourism services with awareness to prevent, greater safety and preparedness for incidents that may occur during the visit of tourists in the Sierra Gorda.

Through the Program for Strengthening State Citizen Participation 2023 of the Secretariat of Social Development of the Government of the State of Querétaro, the Oromiller Workshop located in the town of El Pilón, Peñamiller, was refurbished and equipped, benefiting 11 entrepreneurs who currently produce medicinal and natural cosmetic products made from oregano essential oil.
With the implementation of the resource, they now have a workshop with the necessary conditions for the elaboration of their products, utilizing the proper equipment and supplies for an initial batch of production that will allow them to consolidate their micro-enterprise and in the medium term generate direct jobs in their locality.

Sharing practices and learning experiences in a location and space surrounded by nature, team members full of respect for Mother Earth and working together with communities, authorities and others within a protected area, make Centro Tierra Sierra Gorda directed by GESG achieve the goal and mission of being a space open to receive and impart knowledge, restoration and protection as well as the importance of adapting to a sustainable life for the general population, and future generations.
During the month of March, we had visits from several local and state groups at Centro Tierra. The UTSJR Jalpan unit participated with a group of 28 young people, who attended and participated in the “Sustainable Life” camp where they were trained in various relevant topics such as climate change, carbon capture in the forests of the Sierra Gorda, the intermunicipal waste management plan and wastewater treatment, concluding their visit with their transfer to the community of Tonatico in Pinal de Amoles at the “Rancho Suelo Vivo” where they performed and learned organic agriculture practices, regenerative forest and soil management.
It is an honor to be considered as a meeting point for local and foreign groups, from public and private educational institutions such as the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Qro. with two groups, one of teachers and another made up of students from different university careers. And yet another group of teachers, who were awarded and invited to Centro Tierra for 3 days, having been selected for their projects developed and applied in their their community and school. This group was made up of 30 teachers who graduated from the Diploma “Teaching Tools for Climate Action” and were chosen for their sustainable actions. Their stay was sponsored by Global Greengrants Fund, which allowed them to stay at the Sierra Gorda cabins and meet the local actors who were part of the GESG team and alliances and who served as references during the diploma course. Pati Ruiz Corzo, Salvador Sarabia, Forestry Director, Roberto Pedraza, Head of Wildlands, and Olivia Perez Jimenez, Head of Environmental Education. They also attended a community tour and a day of field practice at Rancho Suelo Vivo.

Safe in a sanctuary we protect, the green macaws visit the old forest daily to feed on bromeliads, other fruits and rest in the closed canopies that offer them excellent shade. And most importantly, a space where humans do not disturb them, their privacy is not broken by tourism and their voices can resonate loudly among saturated greenery.

Our colleagues, Miguel Flores and Abel Reséndiz, checking camera-traps (and filmed by them) in one of the sanctuaries we effectively protect with support from the World Land Trust, where cornered wildlife find refuge from the environmental degradation that prevails in many Sierra Gorda forests. We are proud of our ability to keep these areas safe and of our work in guarding them. Early mornings, a 3-hour drive and then a long hike over difficult terrain are part of their agenda, but the best and happiest of colleagues. In that forest, pumas, margays, peccaries, coatis, and deer temazates can rest easy.

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