On June 6, a welcoming ceremony and induction session were held for the 200 teachers from the state of Querétaro and 60 from San Luis Potosí who were awarded full scholarships to take the Certificate in Sustainable Development: Teaching Tools for Climate Action, developed by Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda (GESGIAP) in partnership with the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey. The event was attended by authorities from the Ministry of Sustainable Development (SEDESU), the Unit of Services for Basic Education in the State of Querétaro (USEBEQ), as well as the FEMSA Foundation.

The 13 tutors who teach the virtual diploma course spent a weekend in the Sierra Gorda as an integrating and awareness-raising activity. Topics such as the biodiversity of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, climate disruption, solid waste management, environmental education and sustainable tourism were addressed. Hands on activities included holistic management and regenerative soil management, biointensive vegetable gardens and the different cultivation activities at the Rancho Suelo Vivo with a theoretical orientation on the environmental services provided by the forests, such as carbon sequestration, and training guided by experts from the Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda.

These green macaws flew far and wide and are part of the exhibition of the nature photography contest Mosaico Natura, organized by CONABIO and other institutions, inaugurated on July 4 at the gates of the Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City. It also has an excellent conservation story, as the effective protection of an old forest has allowed them to retake a former feeding site.

Military Macaws are the best ambassadors of the Sierra Gorda, captured by our photographer Roberto Pedraza, combining their colors with the shades of autumn.

Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda is a finalist for the Keeling Curve Prize from the Global Warming Mitigation Project (GWMP) that celebrates the positive work being done around the world to address the climate crisis.  The award ceremony will take place on July 12th at 14:45 CEST at the Curious 2022 Future Insight Conference in Darmstadt, Germany KCP finalists are selected from hundreds of applications after going through a rigorous selection process conducted by the program’s team of analysts.

The GWMP identifies, activates and accelerates projects and programs around the world that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration. This includes directly funding selected organizations, enhancing networks and advocacy efforts, identifying ways to trigger funding opportunities for climate solutions, and supporting climate justice.

The induction workshop for EarthCheck’s Sustainable Destinations Certification Program was held at our facilities and was attended by representatives of the state government, municipalities in the Sierra Gorda region and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas. The program seeks a continuous improvement management system based on sustainability that will be implemented in 5 municipalities in the state of Querétaro and will be headed by the Ministry of Tourism. The Sierra Gorda will be the first federal biosphere reserve to enter this certification, whose long-term objective is to achieve a balance between economic activities and the environment and to position itself among a visitor market that seeks minimal impact during their trip.

We celebrated our 35th anniversary in a virtual session broadcast on Facebook Live with special guests who have supported us throughout our trajectory of conservation and community economic development. Thanks to the partnership between civil society and distinct levels of government we have been able to achieve our objectives, one of them being the decree of the Biosphere Reserve of the Sierra Gorda region, which also celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Get to know the messages from more allies for the conservation of the Sierra Gorda on our Youtube channel.