Just a few minutes from Mexico City, surrounding the large urban sprawl, there are several expanses of forest which are part of the Great Water Forest, one of the most biodiverse forest areas in the world. The forest extends over the Tepozteco, the Sierra del Chichinautzin, the Lagunas de Zempoala, the Ajusco, Desierto de los Leones and the Sierra de las Cruces.
Deep in the Sierra de las Cruces and the Desierto de los Leones is “Parque los Laureles,” a forest of pine, oak and oyamel administered since 1573 by the indigenous people of San Mateo Tlaltenango, this decree was ratified in 1981 and recognises the ownership of 80% of the Desierto de los Leones by the Agrarian Community, as well as the valley of Las Monjas and El Conejo, where the community has been developing ecotourism projects for a couple of decades.
These forests are under constant pressure from the growth of the city, yet, through hiking tours, pulque production, fish projects, germplasm recovery, cabin rentals and food sales, the community has managed to conserve the 1,954 hectares under its care.
On November 10th, the reforestation of 100 oyamel trees took place, an initiative aimed at helping the community embark on a collaborative stage with companies, seeking an additional injection of resources for both the community and the forest.
For our colleagues, it was a great opportunity for team building dynamics, to get to know each other on a deeper level, to get rid of stress through the contact of all five senses with the great pine and fir trees, the mud, the rain and, finally, to do some meaningful volunteering.
They ended the day sharing a delicious barbecue with the community members and learning about the methods of germplasm collection and compost management, as well as the new project of renting fir trees for families who wish to have one at home for Christmas, without having to cut off a necessary organism in nature.
