Yet more amazing birds in Yucatán, from red-winged blackbirds to macaws
Birding can be a great activity to help fight stress, as it encourages serval of the same practices as meditation.
Birding can be a great activity to help fight stress, as it encourages serval of the same practices as meditation.
The most affected areas include beaches on the state’s southern coast, but large patches of seaweed have extended all the way north to the tourist mecca of Cancun.
The nest contained eleven live baby turtles and well over one hundred hatched eggs shells.
This week we kick things off with one of Yucatán’s most emblematic species, the great curassow or hocofaisán.
This week we kick things off with a species you are not likely to see every day unless of course, you live deep in the jungle.
In Yucatán, bugs are abundant, varied, and a tad frightening. Yet they are not all dangerous and are sometimes even desirable house guests.
The Yucatan peninsula is home to some of Mexico’s most beautiful and exuberants birds, 565 of them to be exact.
Local officials feel that the tiny resort island has reached capacity and any further development would be catastrophic.
Environmentalists argue that the construction of a large industrial pig farm within Yucatán’s Cenote Ring could create disastrous levels of contaminants.
Reaserchers point to pollution from rivers in South America and the United States as the likely cause of rapid sargassum growth. The sargasso sea was first observed by Christopher Columbus in 1492. However, since that time, that relatively small patch of seaweed has been transformed into a floating island of biomass spanning over 5,600 miles….
Scientists in Yucatán warn that within a couple of decades, saltwater could contaminate the drinking water supply of the entire peninsula. Because the water basin in much of Yucatán is so close to the surface, rising sea levels would be disastrous. The problem has already begun to manifest in some areas of the Riviera Maya,…
Mexico is considering reducing the protected area for endangered vaquita porpoises after a fisherman’s death led to accusations that the government cares more about marine animals than its own citizens. An estimated 10 vaquitas are left in the world, residing in the northern Gulf of California or Sea or Cortez. The government’s most recent analysis…
An investigation into a program meant to preserve Mexico’s forests shows how good intentions can result in unintended consequences. Dozens of saplings grow scattered around charred tree stumps in the hills of Yucatán and Campeche, thanks to Mexico’s vast reforestation program, Sembrando Vida, or Sowing Life. But so too is the burned-out clearing. In this part…
Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy has canceled shooting practice on a preserve north of Isla Mujeres amid rising opposition against the plan. The Fifth Naval Region had indicated that nearly two weeks of exercises were scheduled on Isla Contoy starting Tuesday. Ch’ooja Ajauil AC and fishing cooperatives in the area complained that shooting ammunition at…
Yucatán has announced a statewide polystyrene ban effective June 19. The news comes on the heels of similar measures taken in December, intended to eliminate the use of plastic straws and some types of plastic bags. Harry Rodríguez Botello Fierro, Yucatán’s ecology commissioner, highlighted the importance of the polystyrene ban and suggested that the state…
Some of Yucatán’s treasured cenotes continue to be a dumping ground, the divers and volunteers who clean them can attest. Cenotes are deep natural wells fed by groundwater, which make for popular swimming spots amongst locals and tourists. They are also easily accessible sources of water for remote communities. “We have been extremely active in…
Despite the city’s efforts, stray animals are visible all over Merida’s streets. Photo: File
Mérida is chosen — with Montreal and Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula — to spearhead a new initiative to reduce food waste. North America’s Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) estimates that every year the USA, Canada and Mexico waste a combined 168 million tons of food. The CEC campaign encourages education and offers materials through its…
Residents of Mérida have reported locusts in Fraccionamiento Los Héroes. Known for their ability to reproduce and migrate extremely quickly, locusts are a species of grasshopper known for destroying crops and any vegetation when present in large numbers. The swarm in question seems to be relatively small and has only been spotted in the west…
Leydy Pech, a 55-year-old apiculturist from Campeche, has won a historic legal victory against corporate giant Monsanto. Mexico’s supreme court ruled in favor of Pech — also known as the “bee lady” — who argued that genetically modified soybean crops were adversely affecting the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and the ecosystem of southern Mexico. The court also…
Traffickers tried to steal six pink flamingos, packed into three wooden boxes found later at the Merida airport, authorities told local media. Five of the iconic, endangered species were rescued but were suffering from dehydration. One died during the ordeal. Their wings were also clipped, authorities said. Personnel from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection…
Construction rules in Merida’s north, where developers have been building malls and housing developments in the past several decades, will have to be re-written to address the realities of a shallow water table and inevitable climate change, experts said. Record rainfall has left newer housing developments flooded and anything built underground — like underpasses and…
The yellow-green butterflies have exited stage left. Now the black witch moths have entered in their place. Dubbed locally as the “mariposa de la muerte” or “butterfly of death,” the Majanás are moths that have begun to appear across Yucatan, carrying with them a bit of local lore. Many think their appearance is ominous, perhaps even…
Greenpeace Mexico has openly questioned an environmental award accepted by a pork processing conglomerate in Yucatan. The Yucatecan Entrepreneurship Foundation (Feyac) recognized Grupo Porcícola Mexicana — also known as Kekén — as a “socially responsible” company. But Greenpeace denounced the company for being at odds with Mayan communities whose sacred lands gave way to their environmentally…
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