Jaime E Rivera-Hernandez: Project Update: June 2008

Environmental education activities with children

We have been working in Teponaxtla to compile information regarding biodiversity. At this time we have recorded the following number of species: 190 birds, 23 mammals, 10 amphibians, 15 reptiles, 2 cycads, 10 orchids and other several species such as mushrooms, insects and more interesting plants. Most of them considered as endemic species or threatened or at any risk status according Mexican laws.

Additionally, we have been doing interviews to obtain as much information as possible concerning, Cuicatec names, Spanish local names, uses, perception, classification and oral tradition of those species.

On the other hand, we have started the construction of ecotourism guide which include the most important animals and plants in both aspects cultural and biological. Other information included in this guide is archaeological sites, cultural background, language, etc. We are applying for a National support in order to publish this guide.

Also we have carried out environmental education activities in the local primary school with all the entire classes. Manual activities, discussions, images projections, games and catching birds with nets were done. The main topic of all the activities was the importance to maintain the biodiversity and how we can help to conserve the entire natural world.

Besides, we had our first communitarian workshop about ecotourism, and after hours of a constructive brain storm and many feedback ideas, they decided to create a special committee called Communitarian Ecotourism Committee composed by six members and five individuals for being ecotourism guides. No women were included in this workshop because they cultural costumes, but they decided to create an alternative women committee composed just by women who can establish activities such as embroider, cooking tasks and as an ecotourism guides.