Pronatura Noroeste wins the “Gary T. Myers” award for its outstanding work in bird conservation in Northwest Mexico since 1991.

With a comprehensive view of the basin for conservation work, Pronatura Noroeste collaborates with the management of the La Michilia Biosphere Reserve to facilitate processes that help the integration of the Management Program and the formation of the Advisory Council that supports the area’s governance.

The first data on the Yuma Ridgway rail specimens were obtained through a telemetry system. This research project seeks to understand the patterns of dispersion of the Yuma Ridgway rail in the Mexican territory and determine if they demonstrate migratory movements or remain in the wetlands of the Colorado River Delta.

The fourth phase of the Laguna Babicora, Chihuahua protection and management project, conducted with NAWCA in the ejido communities of Gomez Farias and Peña Blanca, and the Nicolas Bravo, San Jose Babicora, and Libertad developments concluded. For the last two years, Pronatura Noroeste has facilitated activities for restoration, habitat management, monitoring, and environmental education to keep the wetland healthy.

On May 1, 2020 the agreement establishing a temporary ban on chocolate clam fishing came into effect for a period of two years in the Altata-Ensenada del Pabellón Lagoon System in Sinaloa. This agreement was published the day before in the Official Newspaper of the Federation by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (SADER). This ban, which has its basis in the technical opinions of the National Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INAPESCA), will be enforced by the National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA). The temporary ban is mandatory for permit holders, concessionaires, captains, and/or fishing patrons, boaters, operators, technicians, fishermen, crew, and other subjects who conduct activities in marine waters under federal jurisdiction.

Birds are endangered due to the degradation and pollution of their habitats, soil change, and human disturbance. If birds, especially migratory ones, do not have suitable sites for feeding, rest, and reproduction, it is highly likely that in the medium or long term, their populations will decrease. With the aim of reducing the threats migratory birds confront, especially those that affect shorebirds that spend part of the annual cycle on the Pacific coast of Mexico, for the past 27 years, Pronatura Noroeste has conducted diagnostics and implemented conservation projects in priority sites.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification and labeling program encourages the development of best fishing practices by recognizing and rewarding the fisheries that prove to be sustainable over time. Through the leadership of its partners, the MSC has the goal of reducing overfishing and increasing the number of sustainable fisheries worldwide.

With the objective of monitoring populations of Jaguar (Panthera onca) – a species in danger of extinction – in its territory, GPS collars were placed on three healthy individuals in the La Papalota Area Voluntarily Designated for Conservation (AVDC) in Nayarit. The captured specimens included two females and one male.

With the aim of supporting mothers, fathers, and teachers during the quarantine period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Conservation Education Program prepared an educational plan with a series of materials to use with kids during this time.

The Advisory Council of the Federal Natural Protected Areas of the Great Islands Region of the Gulf of California appointed a new Chairman this past 21st of January. By a qualified majority, they chose Christian Portillo, who serves as the Project Coordinator for Pronatura Noroeste in Baja California.

The Bahía Santa María ecosystem in Sinaloa faces an environmental problem due to contaminated water from the Cedritos Drain discharging in this wetland of international importance. In addition, the drain overflows during rainy season, causing social and public health problems. To find a solution, in November of 2019, Pronatura Noroeste promoted the creation of the Specialized Working Group (SWG) within the Cuenca de los Ríos Mocorito al Quelite Council, with the aim of developing a strategic plan.

Elementary education teachers have been one of the main allies of the Conservation Education Program. Therefore, to strengthen ties in the communities and facilitate training, the teachers work with environmental promoters to receive firsthand support integrating environmental education in their curricula.

“It’s very simple. You have to use the resource without finishing it off,” said Gustavo Danemann, Executive Director of Pronatura Noroeste, recalling the words of an El Coyote fisherman during one of the first site visits he made –in the Baja California peninsula–  23 years ago when he first started working for the organization. This visit gave rise to the first meeting on the responsible fishing of octopus, a product that is part of daily life on the Coast.