The first state reserve in Sinaloa, Mexico
10/16/2020
Strategic Area:
Wild Places -
Content Type: News
Country:
Mexico -
A Milestone for Conservation in Mexico
Thanks to you, the first state reserve in Sinaloa, Mexico was just created! The newly declared Sierra de Tacuichamona State Reserve will protect habitat for animals like the jaguar and safeguard critical water supplies in the region.
Spanning 110,394 acres and three municipalities, Sierra de Tacuichamona conserves oak forest, tropical dry forest, and river ecosystems in Sinaloa, Mexico. These diverse habitats are home to unique and threatened species, including the margay (Leopardus wiedii), jaguar (Panthera onca), northern potoo bird (Nyctibius jamaicensis), and orange-fronted parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis). The area also contains the endangered cacti species Stenocereus martinezii.
According to Nature and Culture – Mexico’s Country Director Lydia Lozano, “Sierra de Tacuichamona has been recognized worldwide as a unique site of diversity, of species that do not exist in other parts of the world or in Mexico.”
Nearby communities rely on water sources within the reserve for drinking and small-scale agriculture. Conserving the area will safeguard this important natural resource from expanding agriculture, cattle ranching, and other threats, and also protect important carbon sinks and archaeological sites.
Sierra de Tacuichamona is a result of five years of collaboration between Nature and Culture International, local communities, the municipalities of Culiacán, Elota, and Cosalá, and the Sinaloa State Government. Because of you, Nature and Culture played a critical role in the creation process, working with communities, developing the technical file for declaration with the state government, and providing financial support.
Although there are three protected natural areas in Sinaloa, Sierra de Tacuichamona is the first new reserve in 16 years, and the first to reach the category of State Reserve. The reserve and declaration process will serve as an example for future state reserves in Sinaloa.
“For the first time, after 16 years, we were able to work together to make this reserve happen, along with three different municipalities,” says Carlos Gandarilla, Secretary of Sustainable Development of the State Government of Sinaloa. “More than [110,000 acres] and a huge diversity of plants and endemic species, including emblematic Mexican and continental species like the jaguar, will [be protected].”
With your help, Nature and Culture will continue to work with partners to develop the area’s Management Plan to ensure lasting and effective conservation impact.
Thank you for making this achievement possible! We hope that this bit of good news inspires you to continue fighting for nature and culture.
Learn more about your impact in Mexico here.
