Centro Comunitario Poco A Poco, San Pedro Itzican

Today was a special day in San Pedro Itzican.  The Oxxo Corporation was visiting to deliver the last of their donations and we all showed up to receive the gifts.

Our new ramp at the Poco A Poco Community Center - San Pedro Itzican

Kari and Lydia Look On

The children eagerly anticipated the delivery and the meal

they were about to receive.

Jose Regino kept the kids busy while they waited.

Fabian from Querer y Hacer welcomed everyone and explained their part in the work that is being done in San Pedro Itzican.

As the donations were unloaded everyone pitched in to help.

The donations came from Querer y Hacer, Oxxo and Cruz Roja.

The kids kept busy.  Their morning meal was a bit delayed today due to the 

donation event.

Unpacking was done by all.

The new stainless steel pots and pans were beautiful to behold.

In addition to the food despensas, Oxxo also brought new tables and chairs for the

comedor.

One of our latest programs to get off the ground is the San Pedro Bakery project.

Here Anita is introducing the project to the donation representatives.

New appliances await to be used in the production of baked goods and breads.

Our new horno or oven.

After all the activity and speeches, it was finally time to eat!

Our Oxxo photographer/Drone Master documented the day's proceedings.

Nancy and the photographer from Oxxo and our own Gaby

 The Learning Garden next door was full of activity.  Corazón De La Tierra teaches

sustainable growing practices here, helping the people relearn how to grow healthy food.

Looking towards the future, you see the second story addition to the Centro Comunitario.

These spaces will house offices and multipurpose workspaces and are the start of phases II of the 

building project.

Where there is beauty, there will always be hope.

Our thanks to the hard working people of San Pedro Itzican, Oxxo, Querer y Hacer, Cruz Roja and all our wonderful volunteers and supporters.

It does take a village.

+++++++++++ Mariposario de Jocotepec Vist +++++++++++++

 Mariposario - Butterfly Garden in Jocotepec

April 2024

Brad and I recently took a mental health day and traveled to the Mariposario in Jocotepec, to visit our friends from BioTu in their efforts to further the Centro Biorregional de Capacitacion hacia la Sustentabilidad located at the CETAC campus in Jocotepec.

The center is located close to the malecon parking area.

BioTu

BioTu is an organization dedicated to education towards sustainability based in Mexico that incorporates the knowledge of native peoples on how to live within natural limits with the benefits offered by the modern world.

We were the only visitors on the tour that day. The Mariposario was opened in October 2022. There has been much work and development done and there is still plenty to see and learn.

Recently a group of students from Terranova Institute visited the center to learn sustainability and how to nurture and take better care of our local butterflies.

The day we visited our hostess Melina Ramirez welcomed us warmly, even though we had not called beforehand to let them know we were visiting.

Melina one of a family of staff that oversees and works at the center.  The center acts as a living classroom for the CETAC students, affording them easy access and instruction on sustainable practices and lifestyles.

Since our last visit in 2022, at the opening of the center, BioTu has constructed a kitchen and sleeping lofts built out of natural materials like straw, soil and clay using passive design techniques.

Solar Oven

BioTu teaches students how to make their own passive solar ovens for food preparation.

Water Heater

BioTu has also created and taught how to heat water using passive systems and repurposed materials.

There are now aquaponic ponds were fish are raised and their tank water used for the growing of organic crops.

If you are interested in a visit, call for their tour days and times.

333-831-1260 

Calle Riviera del Lago # 800, Jocotepec Jalisco.

And here is a link to our blog entry in 2022 on our initial visit to the Mariposario.

http://fcoandbradsmexicotravels.blogspot.com/2022/11/mariposario-butterfly-garden-in.html

Enjoy!

The Hi-Stakes, Rhythm 'n' Blues - Direct from the Neatherlands

 

Botanical Garden Adventure - Barranca de Huentitan, Jalisco

 

The weather goddess was with us on Jan. 31st, 2024 when a small group of gardeners and friends ventured into the Barranca de Hunetitan, on the northern outskirts of Guadalajara.

Waiting for the rest of our group to gather.

Our friends from Senderos de Mexico (https://www.senderosdemexico-jalisco.org/) invited us to tour a little known garden in the Canyon of Huentitan.  Along with our hosts, the Comisión Estatal del Agua CEA, we were granted access to a botanical garden with more than 300 different species of trees and plants.

While waiting for our group to gather, we spotted this colorful morning glory with fuschia colored tips, growing in an empty lot amongst construction rubble, a testament to the resilience of nature.

The Barranca de Hunetitan is a 1,137 hectare, roughly 600m deep canyon that was carved by the Río Grande de Santiago. Due to its structure, it’s often said to be a smaller version of the Grand Canyon and the Copper Canyon in the north of Mexico.

23 hectares of the land has been set aside as a botanical garden, shepherded by the State Water Commision of Jalisco (CEA).

Natural runoff runs through the property, albeit not treated before it enters the botanical garden.

The 8 staff members have created a natural filtration system of caverns and sand.  The water is then used to irrigate the botanical garden.

Achiote (Bixa orellana)

As we strolled the gardens we saw areas dedicated to warmer, costal plants as well as higher elevation plant specimens.  One of the beautiful trees in bloom that caught our eye was the Achiote. The tree is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also called achiote or bijol) obtained from the waxy arils that cover its seeds.

Our guide, Alberto "Beto" Nunoz, demonstrated the potency of the plant dye.

The view from the botanical garden of the canyon.

Another beautiful specimen was the Amate tree, the Ficus petiolaris, Texcalame.  

El Mexicano

Across from the botanical garden sits El Mexicano, a high peak owned by friends

who are developing a nature center at the base of the mountain along the Rio Santiago, as well as an eco-ranch at its summit.

Starting the trek down to the botanical garden.

Our day trip hiking group.

Lezlie with a Bombax ceiba tree.

Steve with seeding Achiote.

The beauty of the Barranca and the vast botanical garden created there were a wonderful find.

Along with one of our vehicles needing to be pulled by Steve Noll's powerful truck on the journey out, our missing a few meeting points and times, and the terrain being challenging for a few our our guests, it was well worth the effort.