With the renewal of the Board of Directors and the respective Presidency during the Ordinary General Assembly, Pronatura Noroeste reaffirmed the commitment of its members, associates, allies and collaborators to the mission of the organization.
After 10 consecutive years of dedication as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Enrique Hambleton von Borstel handed over the position to his colleague and friend, Jose Antonio Diaz Quintanar, who will lead the organization for the period 2024-2026. During the ceremony, the outgoing president received a well-deserved recognition for his leadership and drive within Pronatura Noroeste. “In all the years he has served as the founder of Pronatura Noroeste and Chairman of its Board of Directors, what Enrique has given to the organization would take us hours, perhaps days, to summarize in detail,” said Gustavo D. Danemann, Executive Director of Pronatura Noroeste.
Explorer, photographer, writer, and tireless conservationist, Enrique has dedicated his life to the protection of nature and cultural heritage. In addition to being a founding member of Pronatura Noroeste and the Niparajá Natural History Society, he was a key player in the process that led to the declaration of the rock paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These and other anecdotes told by advisors and directors had one thing in common: to highlight the immense gratitude for his more than 30 years of dedication and service to conservation in northwestern Mexico.
In addition to Jose Antonio Diaz as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pronatura Noroeste, Aurora Garcia de Leon Peñunuri was appointed as Secretary, Gustavo Camou Luders as Treasurer, Norberto Larrinaga Buelna as new Vice President in Sonora and Esteban Silva as Vice President in Colima. In the words of the new Chairman, the new Board of Directors will contribute to the organization’s efforts to achieve the conservation objectives established in each of the work areas, motivating the collaboration with strategic allies to achieve a balance that allows the development of communities while preserving priority ecosystems.
During the Assembly, Pronatura Noroeste presented its Annual Report 2022-2023, a document that summarizes the conservation achievements of this period. These include the restoration of 190 hectares in the Colorado River Delta, which has resulted in a 42% increase in bird diversity; the permanent protection of mangroves, estuaries and important parts of the desert ecosystem through the acquisition of 14 properties totaling nearly 5,000 hectares protected in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur; the securing of a path to sustainability for eight priority fisheries through the implementation of Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs); and the positive impact on communities through conservation education activities that have directly benefited more than 800 people during this period. Each of these accomplishments is the direct result of an effort driven by the specialized and highly dedicated talents of our organization’s technical staff, in addition to strategic alliances with communities, national and international foundations, civil organizations and government agencies that have allowed us to expand the scope of our environmental work.
The 2022-2023 Annual Report is a synthesis of the enormous effort to act for the conservation of priority ecosystems and endangered species in Northwest Mexico. Under the leadership of Jose Antonio Diaz Quintanar and the rest of the Board of Directors, every challenge becomes a motivation to advance our conservation goals.
You too can be part of the conservation effort: learn more and contribute to our mission for the region’s priority ecosystems.
