Community commitment is a cornerstone of conservation efforts. This is constantly demonstrated by the inhabitants of Golfo de Santa Clara, Sonora, who organize themselves to promote environmental awareness and protect wildlife. Recently, community groups attended a workshop to learn problem-solving and agreement-building techniques for the conservation of the Pacific Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaari) and the Gulf Grunion (Leuresthes sardina).

During the workshop, a historical reconstruction of the intersectoral efforts to care for these emblematic species was presented, in which women and men of Golfo de Santa Clara have played a fundamental role. The members of the workshop belonged to the groups ” Cuidando al Playero rojizo y al Pejerrey” and the “Pejerreynas”. Ecological interest in preserving these characteristic animals of the gulf is due to the symbiosis that exists between them: the Gulf Grunion, a fish that spawns massively on the beaches of the gulf, is a food source for the Red Kemp’s ridley, a bird in danger of extinction.

This workshop provided an opportunity for dialogue among community members to create agreements for the effective protection of these species. Pronatura Noroeste and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), through the Directorate of the Upper Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve and the Colorado River Delta, collaborated to organize the workshop. It was facilitated by M. en A. Jesus Zatarain Gonzalez, representing the federal entity, Victor A. Ricardez Garcia, consultant for the Anthropological Research and Solutions Network, and Lizz Gonzalez, our Conservation Education Coordinator.