Cozumel’s Punta Sur Park Becomes Living Laboratory for Student Conservationists

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation has opened its Punta Sur Ecotourism Park to university students as a living laboratory for hands-on environmental education and professional training.

Five students from the Autonomous University of Chapingo are completing professional internships at the Laguna Colombia ecological reserve, combining academic study with practical field experience while contributing to the preservation of Cozumel’s ecosystems.

The students—Monserrat Hernández, Sarahi Carrillo, Janet Rodríguez, Arleth Ortega, and Carlos Galindo—are pursuing degrees in Forest Restoration Engineering and Forestry Engineering. They will spend three months working on conservation and research projects in one of Cozumel’s most significant protected areas.

Jesús Benavides Andrade, director of Punta Sur, described the collaboration as a strategic partnership between academia, the foundation, and the protected natural area where young people take leading roles in restoration and conservation strategies.

“Laguna Colombia is a space where knowledge is built in the field,” Benavides said. “Here, students don’t just observe—they develop skills, knowledge, and attitudes by actively participating in actions that directly impact the balance of our ecosystems and the dissemination of their importance.”

The students’ activities include restoring coastal dunes that serve as natural barriers against storms and provide habitat for significant biodiversity. They also work on mangrove ecosystem restoration and conservation, which is vital for carbon capture, wildlife protection, and coastal system stability.

Additional work involves monitoring the lagoon’s physicochemical properties to assess the aquatic system’s health and its relationship with mangroves, sampling and tracking crocodile populations as a key ecological species, and participating in environmental education programs to raise awareness among communities and visitors about conserving these natural spaces.

FPMC General Director Juanita Alonso Marrufo emphasized that such partnerships strengthen the training of new generations of environmental professionals, aligning with the New Agreement for Well-being and Development of Quintana Roo led by Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa. The agreement promotes social participation, education, and protection of natural heritage as pillars of sustainable development.

For the students, the Laguna Colombia experience extends beyond academic requirements, offering opportunities to develop professional capabilities, experience field science firsthand, and contribute to protecting Cozumel’s natural heritage through data collection, monitoring, and restoration work.