Other
Regional Studies
The following introduces other projects (finished or ongoing projects) that are relevant to describe Baja California Coastal Wetlands from a regional perspective.
San Quintín’s
Base Study for the Land Use Plan.
Bahía San Quintín has a great biological wealth, and it is also very important for the local economy. As one of the most beautiful bays, the tourism activities are increasing every year, as well as the disturbance caused by the activities without any regulation. In the latest years, the pressure coming from the constantly increasing population and the urban related problems is beginning to cause deterioration, and in some cases destruction of coastal habitats. We need to have management plans that lead us to achieving a harmonic growth, between the urban development and the appropriate management of the natural resources of this beautiful bay.
Pro Esteros, through a grant from the Joint Committee Mexico-United States, just finished a "Base Study for a Land Use Plan". This will be a contribution to the community and the authorities, to be added to the study that the local University is doing for the Valley of San Quintín. This project has three phases: Characterization, Diagnostic, and Evaluation. The study will supply quality scientific information and advice to Mexican governmental agencies, that will help them distinguish and approve only those development plans, that will not result in habitat degradation, as well as provide them with the tool for the Land Use Plan.
Workshop for Teachers in the Biosphere
Reserve El Vizcaino.
The purpose of this project is to conduct training workshops for teachers, related to natural resource management in El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, the largest protected area in Latin America (2,456,709 ha) and breeding ground of the gray whale.
This project focused on strengthening and supporting the local capacity to manage the natural resources of the reserve and to promote a greater involvement of local populations, in resource management and conservation efforts.
There were eight teachers trained to become environmental educators. After the workshop, they have started visiting remote Vizcaino communities once a month, for as long as ten months. The goal is to help inhabitants to become environmentally aware and to be aware of any restrictions imposed upon their activities.
The International Brant Monitoring Project.
The International Brant Montoring Project is a tri-national partnership between schools and resource agencies along the Pacific Flyway. Students from US sites in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California, along with British Columbia, Canada and Baja California, Mexico learn about Brant geese through classroom activities, field trips with local experts, and by using the Internet and a special website to communicate about their findings.
Founded in 1996, the Brant project promotes stewardship of critical habitat and teaches students about the importance of individual and local responsibility in protecting environmental health. It is funded through a combination of public and private grants. The mission statement is to establish a partnership between resource agencies and schools on the Pacific Flyway of North America, to monitor the migration of Brant, as a vehicle for promoting an appreciation for the interdependence of local ecosystems and communities in sustaining global environmental health.
La Misión
Pro Esteros and The New Partnership Foundation have joine din a partnership to provide an alternative to the proposed environmentally adverse commercial development of the project area, a unique natural estuary and wetlands area at La Misión, Baja California, Mexico. We have set as goals: a) protect and preserve the rare and endangered natural estuary at La Misión, by establishing a federally-recognized La Misión Estuary Preserve; and b) establish a natural park and nature center to provide training and job opportunities through the development of ecotourism. As the first step to achieve these goals, we presented a proposal to the Homeland Foundation, to get financing to start a study that will consist of two phases: 1) get information, maps, data, etc.; and 2) analysis and regionalization of the area.
