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Author: Juan Carlos G. Bravo

Crisis at Mexico’s National Commission for Natural Protected Areas: A text for beginners

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Celebrities, citizens, experts, public servants and legislators have spoken up today for a practically unknown agency of the Mexican Federal Government. Here, I explain what is CONANP and why it should matter to you. Leer en español aquí The National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (CONANP is its Spanish acronym) is the federal agency of… Continue reading “Crisis at Mexico’s National Commission for Natural Protected Areas: A text for beginners”…

Challenges and Opportunities for Transboundary Conservation in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

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Leer una versión en español abajo Conserving the shared ecosystems and species of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands depends on understanding who is in charge of managing the land that species need to recover, persist and thrive. Yet we often ignore or are overwhelmed by the land management aspects of conservation, especially in Mexico where ownership and… Continue reading “Challenges and Opportunities for Transboundary Conservation in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands”…

This wide, scenic shot shows tall trees in the foreground, a blanket of snow in the middle, and a lightly snow-powdered, tall mountain range rising up in the background against a blue sky.

Reserva Ajos-Bavispe re-categorizada

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El año pasado, les hicimos saber que el estado de protección de la reserva Ajos-Bavispe se encontraba en un limbo burocrático desde hace muchos años. El lunes 22 de mayo la Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) finalmente la re-categorizó, protegiendo así a la extraordinaria biodiversidad de está región de importancia central para la protección de jaguares, osos negros, lobos mexicanos, cotorras serranas occidentales y muchas otras especies prioritarias para la conservación. Foto: Mario Cirett

This wide, scenic shot shows tall trees in the foreground, a blanket of snow in the middle, and a lightly snow-powdered, tall mountain range rising up in the background against a blue sky.

Ajos-Bavispe Reserve Recategorized to Protected Area – Success!

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Last year, we let you know the protected status of the Ajos-Bavispe reserve in the borderlands of Sonora had been in bureaucratic limbo for several years. On Monday, May 22, the Mexican government finally recategorized it, protecting the unique biodiversity of this core area for the protection of jaguars, black bears, Mexican wolves, thick-billed parrots and many other species listed in one or both countries along the border. Photo: Mario Cirett

A close-up of a large jaguar walking through the desert under a bright blue sky

Where Jaguars Roam, Revisited

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Ever since a photograph of a lone wild jaguar in Arizona reverberated through the conservation community in 1996, wildlife experts in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands have been trying to determine where jaguars may continue to persist—and which corridors they might be using to disperse beyond their known stronghold in central Sonora. Just this month, researchers have made another significant stride in mapping potentially suitable jaguar habitat and corridors in the borderlands region. Photo: Northern Jaguar Project/Naturalia

Mapping Connectivity at the Borderlands

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The borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico are often misrepresented as deserted wastelands filled with contraband, dubious characters, and unwelcoming industrial cities. The essence of the borderlands region is far more complex, enriched not only by the mingling of diverse cultures, but also, notably, an astonishing diversity of life resulting from the merging of arctic and tropical climates in a convoluted topography.

A dead coyote along the side of the road, with a truckload of people about to drive by

Is Mexico Highway 2 the End of the Line for Jaguars and Wolves?

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Highway 2 runs parallel to the international border along one of the most biodiverse regions of North America. From the town of Ímuris in Sonora to the little community of Janos in Chihuahua, this highway creates a rift in a landscape that must remain open to provide connectivity for jaguars and other wildlife. Photo: Jan Schipper

A dead coyote along the side of the road, with a truckload of people about to drive by

La Carretera Federal 2: ¿Fin del camino para jaguares y lobos?

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El jaguar, especie emblemática y tercer felino de mayor tamaño en el mundo, se distribuye en México desde la península de Yucatán hasta el norte del estado fronterizo de Sonora, algunos individuos han llegado, en los últimos años, a cruzar la frontera hacia los Estados Unidos, tratando de recuperar su territorio en ese país, del que fueron exterminados en el siglo veinte. Foto: Jan Schipper