Project funded via the Global Botanic Garden Fund. Project completed: 2020

Maintenance of ethnobotanical garden and bird sanctuary during the health emergency contingency in Central México

Project partner: Jardín Etnobotánico Francisco Peláez R.

Project goal

Incomes that support our garden were reduced to alarming levels during 2020 due to the COVID emergency. This project was focused on maintaining our living collections, since they’re not only essential for their conservation services but also provide shelter and food in our Bird Sanctuary.

Our objectives were two: 1) Ensure the continuous maintenance of the green areas that make up the ethnobotanical garden and 2) Keep the bird sanctuary enabled and guarantee its operation. To fulfill both objectives, it is considered to support the gardeners responsible for our garden.

Key achievements

The salary of three gardeners was ensured to guarantee the daily maintenance of the living collections with special attention to the Bird Sanctuary. Likewise, materials and tools such as pruning shears, gloves, pruners, feeders and drinkers for birds, among others, were acquired. It is worth mentioning that the health contingency restrictions were maintained for the rest of 2020 and 2021, and made it necessary to adapt to hybrid schemes, where online activities were key to the garden’s survival. Online attendees and the local community were encouraged to participate in birding events inside and outside the garden.

The economic support provided by the BGCI through this call came in a very timely manner since the financial situation in the garden at that time was critical. The preservation and maintenance of the garden’s living collections allowed it to receive scientific, academic, cultural, and environmental education projects. Through the garden’s social networks, the first Online National Botanic Gardens Day was held with a reach of 10,000 people on Facebook. In addition, live bird observations were broadcasted and several photographic exhibitions and workshops related to the birds were carried out from the sanctuary and out of it.