The Young Environmental Leaders project “Everyone for the Planet" began with visits to different institutions in the Sierra Gorda where we seek to raise awareness among the youth on the importance of conserving the environment. During these sessions we have invited them to be part of our social media campaigns and to be active members on the Facebook platform "Hands together for the Planet Sierra Gorda", through which our young leaders can share; information, petitions for signatures, advice, reflections, and events, among other climate actions for the planet.

The Young Environmental Leaders project seeks to identify and promote new ecological leaders who have a sense of belonging and a commitment to caring for the planet, young people who make use of their creativity and tools available to them in order to design an action plan from the local level that addresses an identified problem or need in their school or community.

Young leaders must be able to organize and create movements using their communication skills to motivate other young people and the general population to take action for climate change and to conserve our environment.

El proyecto de Brigadas “Todos x el planeta” dio inicio con las visitas a las diferentes instituciones de la Sierra Gorda en donde se busca sensibilizar a los jóvenes sobre la importancia de conservar el medio ambiente, durante las sesiones se les ha invitado a ser parte de este proyecto y a ser miembros activos en la plataforma de Facebook “Manos unidas x el planeta Sierra Gorda”, en la cual se pretende que los jóvenes compartan en ella; información, peticiones de firmas, consejos, reflexiones, eventos, entre otras cosas que sean exclusivamente con contenido sobre acciones por el planeta.

El proyecto de brigadas busca identificar e impulsar a los nuevos líderes ecológicos que tengan ese sentido de pertenencia y un compromiso con el planeta para su cuidado, jóvenes que hagan uso de su creatividad y de herramientas que tengas a su alcance para diseñar un plan de acción desde lo local que atienda una problemática o necesidad identificada en su escuela o comunidad.

Los jóvenes líderes deben ser capaces de organizar y crear movimientos usando sus habilidades de convencimiento y motivando a los demás jóvenes y población en general para desarrollar acciones por el cambio climático y la conservación de nuestro entorno.

Here at the Sierra Gorda Alliance, we are committed to protecting the Earth every day. We have been busy training fire brigades to combat forest fires, which are worsened by climate change and illegal logging, but we still need your help to fund our action plans and prepare for next year.

Since the catastrophic fire this past May, which was finally controlled by the coordination between different government agencies and strong support from local volunteers and civil society, we gave ourselves the task of creating a solid action plan for the next season in 2020. Climate change, increasingly erratic rain patterns, and more aggressive fires, are all some of the biggest threats to the integrity and permanence of local ecosystems, their biodiversity, and the well being of the communities in the Sierra Gorda. Clearly fires are becoming a major element of global destruction and is an after effect of climate change, as is clear from the catastrophic fires this year in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Greenland, Sweden, Portugal, Spain (notably the Canary Islands), Greece, Congo, Angola and Indonesia among others. 

It's because of all this that we have given ourselves the task of establishing strategic guidelines that will allow for better defenses and control of forest fires. In order to properly diagnosis the problem and to create a plan of action for the following year, we will be collaborating with the National Forestry Commission of Mexico (CONAFOR), the National Commission on Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), and the municipalities of the region, on which the Civil Protection Offices of the counties depend. 

Personnel from our brigade as well as Ejidatarios (communal landowners) and members of their own fire departments, attended the Basic Course for Forest Combatants (CBCF) given by CONAFOR and CONANP personnel in the city of Jalpan de Serra. The more people that are trained, equipped and ready to fight these disasters effectively, the less damage and environmental cost they will have.

 Below is a more detailed action plan. As always, we appreciate your help and helping us protect this land:

-Bearded Wood-Partridge (Chivizcoyo is the common name in Mexico)

(Dendrortyx barbatus)

The Bearded Wood-Partridge is a chicken-like bird endemic to cloud and temperate forest areas of east-central Mexico. This speedy bird is distinguishable by its silvery blue neck and head and short slightly curved beak, which makes it a specialist in eating seeds, fruits, and insects! A fantastic seed distributor, the Bearded Wood-Partridge also feeds on beans and corn so it is actively persecuted by farmers.

Threats:

Due to fragmented habitats, Mexico could lose this endemic bird and its beautiful elaborate 15 minute songs and seed dispersion skills. The bird can be considered a pest to farmers. Therefore, it is important to help incentivize the protection of this bird to farmers and protect its remaining habitat in its small distribution areas in Mexico.

Protection Status:

The Bearded Wood-Partridge is decreasing in population due to fragmented habitats. There are 3,600 known mature adults still in existence, but the bird’s population has been vulnerable and declining for decades.

Status in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve:

Sierra Gorda’s WildLands Project Director, Roberto Pedraza R., has spotted these rare birds in at least 40 different places on our reserve. And GESG protects populations of this species in several of the private natures reserve we run within our SGBR, providing it a true haven.

Conservation in Our Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve:

As mentioned earlier, we protect this bird in our Network of Natural Reserves under the supervision of GESG. This bird is abundant in the temperate and cloud forests where they are protected and still have forest corredors. This is very different to other areas where the bird is found, such as neighboring states like Hidalgo, San Luís Potosí, and Veracruz, where the forests are fractionated and its populations are isolated.

Without a doubt, effectively protecting its habitat is the best method for protecting this species. Furthermore, we need more environmental education activities and ecotourism projects that relieve pressure on forests, like those in Ejido La Trinidad, Xilitla, in San Luis Potosí State.

Habits and Habitats:

The Bearded Wood-Partridge is a non-migratory bird, meaning it does not fly to seek other lands. This means that this bird is extremely susceptible to those who see them as year-round pests. The Bearded Wood-Partridge is a very elusive bird as it tends to hide in the forest understory. Because of the birds’ tendency to hide, research on its habits has been difficult to conduct. Little is known about the bird’s reproductive habits. The species currently experiences a fragmented distribution due to hunting and habitat loss.

References:

https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/bewpar1/overview

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679576/92819853

Eitniear, Jack. (2008). Observing the Bearded Wood Partridge: a rare and elusive species.