Mexico: Conservation on private land on the rise, but obstacles remain
AMECAMECA, Mexico, Aug 7, 2010 (Tierramérica) - The Mexican government is promoting the notion of private lands dedicated to sustainable use, a tool created in 1997 in this country with great biodiversity, but experts say there are still many shortcomings in the plan.
Ten years ago, engineer Luis Alvarado decided to buy some real estate in a central municipality of Mexico that had been neglected and degraded by illegal logging.
The land, some 25 hectares, today comprises the environmental management unit (EMU) known as Temaxcal, established in 2002 in Amecameca, 58 kilometres southeast of the Mexican capital. It is home to dozens of animal species and hundreds of different plants.
Situated 2,420 metres above sea level, Temaxcal spreads across the lower slopes of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano, which rises to 5,286 metres. It offers tours and unique forms of contact with nature, utilising environmental education and workshops in natural resource management.
Wild animals are also raised on the site, such as the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which has several subspecies that are endangered. The deer are later released into the surrounding areas.