Land as guardian of biodiversity

It’s been nine years since Pronatura Noroeste joined the Laguna San Ignacio Conservation Alliance. The lagoon is one of the most important places for the reproduction of the Gray Whale.Working along with the local community, we have designed and implemented legal, technical and economic tools for the conservation of the biologically rich territory that surrounds the lagoon.

Among these tools, the highlight in 2012, was the creation of the “Laguna San Ignacio Environmental Management Unit”. The unit was designed to strengthen the protection of 80,550 hectares in the Vizcaino Desert, located along the north coast of the lagoon. In this area, we documented the presence of species considered to be threatened in Mexico, such as the Mexican Badger and the Desert Fox, which depend on this ecosystem for their survival.

Pronatura Noroeste collaborated with El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve and the ejidos in the region to install surveillance towers, signboards, and the implementation of a routine inspection strategy that ensures the conservation of this land portion that is so relevant in the peninsula of Baja California.

PHOTO-TRAPS SHOW THE BIODIVERSITY WE PROTECT

For over four years Pronatura Noroeste has been using camera traps (also called photo-traps) in its working sites to record the presence of animals.The device has an automatic activation system triggered by a motion sensor, which captures photos or video in the presence of an animal that moves or lands in front of the sensor.

Thanks to its passive character, the device does not disturb species and allows us to register those with elusive habits, generating a complete record of the local wildlife.