2004 El Cielo Community Conservation Project Annual Report
	The objective of the project has been to reduce pressure on the reserve nucleus, a critical habitat for a variety of threatened and endangered species, by developing alternative livelihood strategies through: 1) community palm propagation and reforestation techniques in the buffer zone of the reserve, and the development of palm resource management plans to promote sustainable practices, 2) provide technical assistance and eco-tourism infrastructure including the construction of botanical and butterfly gardens and creation of a GIS database with GPS trained local inhabitants to map plant communities and habitat usage patterns of threatened species, 3) create environmental education and naturalist training programs for children and adults in order to enhance eco-tourism and assist local inhabitants in designing a long-range preservation strategy 4) link Mexican and United States universities and conservation groups in scientific research studies to promote a long-range preservation strategy. This approach will provide the foundation for a long-term solution to conserving habitat of threatened and endangered species found within El Cielo. Research and Reforestation: Chamaedorea radicalis To date 60,000 of the target 500,000 seedlings of C. radicalis have been added to the forest near the village of Alta Cima in the reserve buffer zone. These plants will mature within seven years and provide local inhabitants with a sustainable nontimber forest product for years to come while protecting the integrity of the reserve nucleus zone. Additionally Oklahoma City Zoo staff, Luisa Trejo, botanist from the Tamaulipas Autonomous University (UAT), and Dr. Bryan Endress, from WildShare International, have begun studies with local inhabitants to research optimum propagation techniques for C. radicalis.  In February of 2005 Dr. Endress working with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America (CEC) coordinated the first sale of certified C. radicalis leaves harvested in El Cielo to the United States. These certified leaves harvested within the community of Alta Cima represent the first link in the development of an environmentally and economically sustainable production of C. radicalis, which will ultimately serve to protect the fragile natural resources of the El Cielo cloud forest. Through the cooperative efforts of  ProNatura Noreste, the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, WildShare International, and local inhabitants the first objective of the El Cielo Community Conservation Project has been implemented and is being adopted by other communities within the reserve.                       Botanical Garden and Arboretum Development In April of 2004 a series of meetings were held in the gateway community of Alta Cima with community leaders and NGO representatives working within the Reserve. It was established that to accomplish a successful sustainable management plan activities such as reforestation horticulture, environmental education, and ecotourism development should be organized and arranged under the auspices of a fully-functioning botanical garden as defined by Botanical Garden Conservation International- “botanical gardens contain scientifically ordered and maintained collections of plants, usually documented and labeled, are open to the public for the purposes of recreation, education and research, and are involved in important conservation work.” The creation of a botanical garden in El Cielo will allow for the reserve to be utilized by outside researchers and organizations in a more accessible format as well as aid the overall protection of Mexico’s flora given that there are only 51 official botanical gardens in all of Mexico, and they hold only 9% of its native species in their accessions. Owing to the fact that El Cielo is home to thirty-five endangered/ at-risk plant species, approximately forty endemic species, five separate ecotones, and holds the northern-most remaining section of cloud forest in the Americas, the environmental and educational impact of a botanical garden within the reserve can not be understated. At present the development of the garden is being funded through the 2005 Association of Zoological Horticulturists Conservation Grant. In January 2005 WildShare International staff met with the women of the La Fe Cooperative in Alta Cima and began garden design and propagation training. Two hectares of community property has been designated for the garden and themes for the first installations have been established— butterfly garden, conservation garden, and orchid collection—and a committee of volunteers has been formalized to oversee the implementation of the master plan. All quality botanical gardens are expected to have the following: at least one full-time staff member, a computerized accession system, regularly scheduled educational events and visiting hours as well as informational signage and tagging. In addition, a basic infrastructure delineating the garden space is necessary—in this case walkways made of native stone and a very unique “orchid wall ” will form the bulk of the initial building phase. Building will be performed in a cost-sharing arrangement—we have agreed to pay for materials in exchange for their donation of labor. The first garden to be installed will be a butterfly garden planted with native species grown by the citizens of Alta Cima. A workshop is scheduled for October in which seed collection and propagation of common El Cielo butterfly attractant plants will be the focus. El Cielo is home to over 300 species of butterflies. Although the butterfly garden will form the bulk of 2005’s timetable, we will begin the creation of a permanent orchid collection in mid- 2005. This will involve a workshop by Jean Louis LaCaille (who has produced a book on the orchids of El Cielo), and it will result in 2006 in the first cumulative collection of orchids in northeastern Mexico—56 species documented to date. Educationally, 2005 will largely be dedicated to the community itself, as they will be running the garden. These programs will also work to aid their desire to preserve the biosphere by expanding their knowledge and understanding of the land they inhabit. Once the garden is fully operational we will begin training on reproduction, especially tree species, which were over logged previous to El Cielo being preserved as a biosphere.  By establishing the garden and utilizing infrastructure for ecotourism, we intend El Cielo to become an active center of research for North American botanists and ecologists. The addition of a botanical garden would open up numerous avenues of information exchange related to butterfly gardening, rare plant propagation, and opportunities for international educational exchanges between El Cielo and institutions in the United States. Biodiversity Assessment and Management The El Cielo Biosphere is unique ecosystem comprising tropical, temperate, and arid zones. This 144,530- hectare area is home to 743 species of plants, 25 species of amphibians, 60 species of reptiles, 385 species of birds, 92 species of mammals, and 300 species of butterflies. As mentioned in the project overview the third goal of the El Cielo Community Conservation Project is to identify threatened species, critical habitat and wildlife corridors within El Cielo to preserve species diversity, something that was not done during the establishment of the reserve. By initiating locally driven ecological assessment surveys of species with technical and financial assistance from Mexican and United States biologists, botanists, and non-profit organizations a long-term sustainable reserve management plan will be designed that provides for the welfare of both people and animals. In 2002 biologist Hector Garza (UAT) began an intensive training program for local inhabitants to identify endemic and migratory bird species. Their work has generated an updated list of 385 species found within the reserve borders and laid the groundwork for a community conservation program for neotropical birds in El Cielo. In February of 2005 Arvind Panjabi, International Director of the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) in Ft. Collins, Colorado, presented the El Cielo project’s work at the Partners In Flight Southeast Regional meeting in McAllen, Texas. Through meetings with USFW, Pronatura, and WildShare International representatives it was determined that further scientific evaluations and a comprehensive management plan were needed in order to aid species and habitat preservation in El Cielo.  Through meetings with local communities and field observations a study of the seasonal habitat use and abundance of resident and migratory birds in each of the five major habitat types found in El Cielo has been outlined. This study will aim to understand the seasonal importance of each major habitat type and to identify critical habitats for each bird species through seasonal shifts by both resident and migratory birds, including altitudinal migration by resident species. This more comprehensive understanding of habitat use will provide information that will be used to develop a management plan not only in El Cielo but also within seasonal habitat in North America.  The project would include training and seasonal employment of up to 15 local residents annually (5 year projected) with technical assistance from Mexican government and nongovernmental agencies who have a vested interest in birds and/or wildlife and who can contribute to the long-term stability of natural resource management and conservation in the area. At present the project has the support of Partners in Flight, CONANP (the Mexican federal conservation agency), RMBO, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and the Travis County Audubon Society. Additionally the Institute for Bird Populations and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory has offered to train community members in field research techniques. The project will have some additional economic benefits, as local residents who work on the project will gain valuable bird identification skills, which will enhance their skills as guides and future research assistants. Additionally areas of protection will be identified so that guides can ensure visitors will not disturb critical habitat. Several articles will also be published in popular journals that reach bird-watching audiences in the United States and Europe. This in turn will raise the profile of the reserve and attract more eco-friendly visitors. From the scientific standpoint information from this study will help to target conservation measures for birds not only in El Cielo but also in other areas of the Sierra Madre Oriental. At present RMBO has completed a Partners in Flight species database for western Mexico and what is now needed is to gather critical data for the eastern part of Mexico. Once the study is completed the El Cielo data will be added to that database and several peer- reviewed publications will be generated. Through the RMBO program, Birds Beyond Borders, we will incorporate education and outreach components targeted towards school age children in Mexico and the United States. This program includes naturalist training for children and fosters an exchange of ideas and information on the importance of natural habitats in both countries.