Mexican Communities Exchange Birdwatching Tourism Knowledge
Communities from central Mexico's Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl corridor visited Oaxaca's coast to learn from established birdwatching tourism guides, as part
Representatives from several agrarian communities in central Mexico traveled to the coast of Oaxaca to learn from local experts who have developed birdwatching tourism. The exchange is part of a program run by Audubon, Reforestamos México, and the National Union of Community Forestry Organizations (UNOFOC) to build skills in bird knowledge and guiding services in the Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl corridor.
Socorro Medina from UNOFOC explained the goal. "The goal is for people to put into practice what they have learned..." Medina said. Seeing successful tourism in Oaxaca allows participants to imagine possibilities for their own mountain communities.
Learning Through Direct Experience
The visit focused on learning by doing. Over several outings, the group from Amecameca, San Pedro Ecatzingo, Santiago Cuautenco, and San Miguel Atlautla accompanied Oaxacan guides. They observed firsthand how to identify species, read landscapes, and lead groups. Birding together highlighted the deep value of local knowledge, which extends beyond simple identification to understanding territorial cycles and community relationships with habitat.
At Playa Bacocho in Puerto Escondido, the activity included a bird banding demonstration. This closer look at scientific monitoring sparked discussions about the links between observation, research, and conservation efforts.
Sharing Challenges and Strategies
The program featured a roundtable where coastal guides shared lessons learned. They discussed the preparation needed to welcome visitors and develop tourism in different contexts. Conversations also covered the impacts of climate change on birds and the ongoing challenge of building sustainable initiatives that truly benefit local communities.
Catalina Casas, Field Conservation Manager for Audubon Latin America and Caribbean, presented findings from a community well-being workshop. Her diagnostic assessment outlined specific challenges and opportunities for developing bird-based tourism in the participants' home corridor.
A New Perspective on Territory
For participant Laura Ortega Martínez from Amecameca, the trip was major. It was her first time seeing Oaxaca and the ocean. Beyond the new landscapes and birds, she was struck by how coastal communities care for and share their territory. I would really like for this knowledge and these experiences to be brought back to where I live, not just for my own sake, but for the whole community, Ortega Martínez shared. She emphasized her new awareness of the need to care for birds and their habitats.
Consultant Irving Barrera, who supports Audubon's training process, framed the broader purpose. Birdwatching tourism is an excuse, in the best sense of the word, for people to see that there is an economic activity that can generate income, Barrera explained. He noted that underlying the economic potential is the fundamental conservation of birds, land, and natural capital.
The exchange avoided simply copying a model. Instead, it allowed communities to compare realities, ask questions, and consider what could be adapted to their own mountain context. Birds served as the connective thread, linking knowledge and communities across diverse Mexican landscapes.
