Education for Conservation

We are delighted and excited to share with you that we have launched our next educational program in the community of El Cuale, Jalisco. Last Friday, April 25th, Dr. Maribel Arenas Navarro and her student, Johanna Ayshin Vargas, from the Iztacala School of Advanced Studies (FESI) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), along with Dr. Cristóbal Daniel Sánchez Sánchez and biologist Jesús Ángel Barajas Fragoso, led the first session of educational activities for the program “Conservation of Two Endangered Oak Species in Western Mexico Through Local Production and Environmental Education,” supported by the International Oak Society (IOS).

We were warmly and enthusiastically received; some girls were already waiting while we prepared, and even several mothers joined in. El Cuale is a forested community belonging to the Municipality of Talpa de Allende. It is surrounded by beautiful pine-oak forests and is home to a wide variety of endemic species, meaning they are found only in that part of the world.

One of the endemic species is Quercus cualensis, locally known as “white oak.” It is a beautiful tree that grows up to fifteen meters tall, with long, thin leaves and beautiful bright green acorns. As its name suggests, “cualensis” is only found in the mountainous region between the town of El Cuale and the former Zimapán mines, specifically in an altitude range of 1,800–2,300 meters. Due to its restricted distribution, it may be susceptible to various threats such as fires, the opening of new roads, and climate change. Because of this, we are developing community activities with the support of the IOS (National Institute of Forestry) to educate them about the importance of oaks in the ecosystem through games, art, talks, and, above all, by revaluing their surroundings to protect them.