Project Description
This project will increase the scope of Pronatura Noroeste’s Public Involvement and Education Program (PIE) in the Colorado River delta. The delta is a Wetland of International Importance in the Ramsar Convention, an Important Bird Area in Mexico, and a priority wetland under the North American Wetland Conservation Act. It is one of the areas with the highest bird diversity in northwestern Mexico. The main threat to the delta is the lack of a guaranteed source of water to maintain natural systems. Pronatura is undertaking initiatives to maintain and enhance critical bird habitat by allocating and directing instream flows. This project represents an opportunity to increase communities’ knowledge about and appreciation of wetlands in the Colorado River delta and involve them in existing wetland conservation projects. At the same time, we seek to strengthen the links between the education and the conservation agendas in the region, giving wetlands education a more relevant role. The solid alliances in the region and the funds received from the SJV will allow Pronatura to (1) strengthen existing education and conservation agendas in the Colorado River delta; (2) engage educators in a public involvement and education program aimed at increasing participants’ understanding of and appreciation for wetlands; (3) involve teachers, students, and communities in existing efforts to restore the Colorado River delta; and (4) train teachers in Mexicali, Baja California, and from communities in the Colorado River delta in Sonora.