| El Cielo Biosphere Reserve: Community Conservation Project Tamaulipas, Mexico 2003 Annual Report Overview The El Cielo Biosphere Reserve is a United Nations-designated biosphere located in the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Madre Orientale in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Biosphere regulations allow for local communities to exist within the biosphere, but allow limited revenue producing activities. Most inhabitants rely on the harvest of leaves from the vulnerable palm Chamaedorea radicalis which has resulted in overharvesting of the palm and has caused the locals to travel further and further into the protected forest to harvest. The continued cycle of palm harvesting has caused degradation of the forest and increased habitat disturbance. The Community Conservation project is working to put seedling palms back into the forests surrounding the villages, and it seeks to educate local communities on conservation and biosphere stewardship. It is also aiding the development of eco-friendly income opportunities such as ecotourism and for-profit horticulture. Research and Reforestation with Chamaedorea radicalis Efforts involving the palm are centered on two main goals. The first goal is to establish studies which will shed light on the re-establishment of Chamaedorea through in situ plantings. These studies will track mortality, growth rate, germination rate, and leaf productivity. A second species, Chamaedorea elegans, is also being studied alongside radicalis to determine its possibility as a more productive alternative for harvesting. The second goal is to establish in situ enrichment plantings which will allow the palmilleros to gather palm without encroaching on the interior of the reserve. Our initial funding was able to establish four hectares of control plots which will eventually produce saleable palm leaves. One plot was dedicated to radicalis, one was dedicated to elegans, and two hectares were dedicated to seeding. As you can see, forest impact was minimal. One of the most difficult tasks involved in establishing the reforestation plots is the building of fences to protect the plants from grazing. After completing the fences, the planting process was carried out—16,700 elegans and 12,000 radicalis were planted in situ. Due to the terrain, this process was achieved with burros as the transportation. Once the plots were established, we met with our project manager to discuss the outcome. We also finalized the data gathering process for tracking our research interests. Community Outreach and Education The successful management of Chamaedorea radicalis is not just about growing more palms. It is about educating local communities as to their roles as biosphere stewards, and furthering their understanding of how ecosystems are composed of many circles which are all interconnected. Throughout the year we met with as many government officials, researchers, and citizens as we could to identify the most critical educational needs to achieve these goals. SEDUE, the government agency responsible for managing the reserve, not only gave us an open door to pursue conservation activities within the reserve, they also allowed us to make use of their office for meetings. Inside the reserve, we traveled to several communities to assess their conservation and educational needs and determine how best to integrate the Zoo’s conservation mission with that of the reserve. We met not only with community leaders such as the Mayor of San Jose (left), but with individuals and groups involved in forestry activities as well. Our work in the El Cielo Biosphere culminated in our participation in a multi-community educational fair aimed at discussing present and future community involvement in order to protect and promote the forest and all its inhabitants. Participants in this daylong workshop included university researchers and community members from four of the Biosphere’s villages. Following this summit, we sat down with ProNatura, an NGO carrying out infrastructure development in El Cielo, and community leaders from Alta Cima and La Gloria. We worked out a “short list” of programs that would support and enhance the initial efforts of the palmilla project in order to create a holistic management plan aimed at removing habitat pressure caused by palm dependence. Future Goals and Objectives Opportunities for children’s education concerned everyone the most. English language was by far the most desired tool. But in addition to this, programs geared to specific biological aspects of the reserve are also needed. Science education is minimal in the communities. We are currently developing several programs: 1)"eco English," targeted language skills which will make the reserve inhabitants capable of interacting with ecotourists; 2) "Endangered species and You"; and 3)" Aspects of Scientific Fieldwork" which will train locals in the use of methodologies and equipment pertinent to scientific research. In conjunction with adult and children’s education, they also desire help with establishing a conservation education center dedicated to displays and materials which explain the ecology of El Cielo and all its wonders—birds, butterflies, forests, and more. . |
