Cedo Intercultural - Community Education

Community Education

CEDO seeks to share what we know about Northern Gulf environments and promote natural resource conservation. Since 1980 we have developed educational materials and programs for Puerto Peñasco, El Golfo de Santa Clara, San Felipe and other communities inside the Upper Gulf Biosphere Reserve. Today we engage people in diverse educational activities, scientific research and taking action for conservation. We work with Peñasco’s residents and visitors to understand our local environment, and to enrich the current debate on development.

Youth Programs
Our youth programs aim to develop leadership and environmental awareness in the next generation. Currently we have three programs focused on schools and youth in Sonora. Our environmental education program for fifth graders, “Youth for a Sustainable Upper Gulf,” reached 700 students in 2006-2007. From sixth grade through middle school children also have the opportunity to participate in our Ecology Club and summer camp experiences.

Environmental Contest
Participants in the yearly contests compete to research and solve an environmental problem. Students of all ages step up in their communities to publicize the issue and promote sustainable use of natural resources.

Coastal Cleanup
Each year the city of Puerto Peñasco takes part in this international effort organized by The Ocean Conservancy to clean up our beaches. Beach by beach we gather information on the quantity and type of trash collected.

Other Public Programs
- Eco-Celebrations
- Environmental Movie Night and Video Library Public Tour

Wishlist
- Scholarships so that low-income students can participate in Wet Feet summer camp, $150.00 for each child
- Portable screen for presentations
- Laptop for presentations
- Microwave (to heat up popxorn) for Environmental Movie Night
- Environmental movies for the video library

Collaborators
- Comité Técnico Interinstitucional de Turismo Alternativo del Estado de Sonora
- Dirección de Acción Cívica y Cultural del H. Ayuntamiento de Puerto Peñasco
- Dirección de Ecología del H. Ayuntamiento de Puerto Peñasco
- Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza
- Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Puerto Peñasco
- Organismo Operador Municipal del Sistema de Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento (OOMAPAS)
- Organismo Operador para el Manejo Integral de Limpia Municipal (OOMISLIM)
- Reserva de la Biósfera del Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar
- Secretaría de Educación y Cultura del Estado de Sonor a

TIDE BITS: the Vaquita

Also called the Gulf of California porpoise, this is an endemic species, only found in the northern part of the Gulf of California. Like all porpoises it has a blunt snout and spade-like teeth, and produces one calf every other year. Today the vaquita is considered the most endangered marine mammal on earth, with probably fewer than 150 individuals left. The primary threat to this species is the use of gillnets by coastal fishermen of the region. The species’ survival depends on finding alternatives livelihoods for fishermen that depend on these fisheries or finding alternative gear for the most economically important fisheries, such as shrimp.