The riparian ecosystem of the Tijuana River is recovering thanks to the active participation of the community in environmental events such as the one that took place this Thursday. The event was organized by Tijuana Rio Conecta, an initiative integrated by Coca Cola Mexico Foundation, bottling company Del Fuerte, the government of the State of Baja California, through the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and Pronatura Noroeste, which aims to restore this important binational riparian ecosystem.
Since the establishment of the Tijuana Río Conecta initiative, the inhabitants of the Tijuana-San Diego metropolitan area have turned with hope to this site that for decades suffered from environmental deterioration, institutional neglect and the accumulation of waste of all kinds. Today, the Tijuana Riverbed is recovering the presence of wildlife, thanks to legal protection and the planting of thousands of poplars, willows and other native plants.
As part of the intervention strategy at the site, on Thursday, June 8, an educational and environmental restoration day was held at the Tijuana River for students and citizens of Tijuana. Two hundred students from Colegio de Bachilleres COBACH La Presa and 20 employees from Embotelladora Del Fuerte participated.
During the day, the young people had the opportunity to carry out a series of activities designed to promote awareness and recovery of the riparian ecosystem. These included the planting of native plants, removal of waste such as plastic, cardboard and other materials that hinder the riverbed – all of which were counted as part of the site’s diagnosis – as well as a walk to identify the plants and birds that inhabit the site.
Also in attendance was Monica Vega, head of Baja California’s Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development (SMADS), who has become an important ally of the Tijuana River restoration project. SMADS personnel were in charge of giving the attendees a talk on climate change. During the day, two murals were created by local artists Mischka Ippólita, Amanda Bueno and Hokzyn.
The environmental commitment of the Coca Cola Mexico Foundation, Coca Cola bottling company and Del Fuerte bottling company in Tijuana Rio Conecta sets a precedent within the border business sector to focus their attention on the restoration of ecosystems surrounding urban areas. Perhaps this priority ecosystem restoration model can be replicated in other regions of the country, based on the success shown in the Tijuana-San Diego border, one of the busiest in the world.
Join the conservation effort of this priority border ecosystem.
