ABOUT OAXACA
The state of Oaxaca in Mexico, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, is one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. Boasting a wide array of flora and fauna, it is also renowned around the world for its food and drink, particularly the cultivation of chocolate, consumption of grasshoppers and production of mezcal. A place steeped in indigenous culture and history it is also a rapidly growing tourist destination, which with visitors also brings along a massive amount of waste. It is with fixing this problem in mind, along with interest in the conservation of mangroves and local turtle species, that we have partnered for our BlueCommunities initiative with Fondo Oaxaqueño Para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (The Oaxacan Fund for Nature Preservation) and Vive Mar.
LOCAL GOALS
RELEVANT UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
LOCAL PARTNERS
FONDO OAXAQUEÑO PARA LA CONSERVACIÓN DE LA NATURALEZA (FONDOAX) is a non-profit organization passionate about nature, who seek to contribute, hand in hand with the local communities, to the conservation of ecosystems and the biodiversity of Oaxaca. They promote community initiatives that support the sustainable management of natural resources within their territories, linking the different productive skills with the demands of the local, state, national and international market. As well as detonate alliances and participate in inter sectoral initiatives that join the collective efforts of the different actors that converge in a territory.
VIVE MAR is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by people from the community of Bajos de Chila San Pedro Mixtepec Oaxaca Mexico. It belongs to the Red de Humedales de la Costa de Oaxaca, a community cooperative, which is made up of people from the community and together they work for the conservation of natural resources and culture on the coasts of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Their main focus is fauna conservation, concentrating on turtle hatching sites as well as the protection of local bird species.
PLASTIC POLLUTION
JUNGLA PLÁSTICA (Plastic Jungle): a local NGO with whom we work through FONDOAX, that helps collect and manage plastic, glass and metal waste in the community. They offer to pick up recyclable waste free of charge from homes and find the correct processing organizations to dispose of them correctly and safely.
VIVEMAR: an NGO primarily focused on turtle conservation, they regularly host cleanups of the turtle nesting beaches.
We are currently building microplastics collectors in the shape of large sand-sifting cannons to aid in keeping the beaches clean as well as continue education efforts.
MANGROVE RESTORATION
FONDOAX works alongside a community-run NGO to help these essential ecosystems recover and thrive.
LAGARTO REAL VENTANILLA: A local cooperative made up of members from the local community in the Ventanilla Lagoon, they have an amazing program dedicated to preserving the local ecosystem, specifically the mangroves and alligator population. One of the main participants of the Trees & Seas Festival, in 2021 they planted over 90,000 mangrove trees, an effort which has a massive positive impact on the local fauna.
TURTLE CONSERVATION
VIVEMAR: This great NGO works towards the conservation of local and endemic fauna. One of their main projects is the conservation of sea turtle species. Working with Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill species, they’ve helped thousands of turtles nest safely along the Oaxacan Coast, all the way from Bachoco beach to Vigia beach. Through constant innovation and a dedicated team, they’ve helped these species recover year by year.