Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Staff from nine hotels belonging to the Cozumel Hotel Association, along with local residents, joined a mangrove restoration day at Punta Sur Ecotourism Park, organized by the Foundation of Parks and Museums of Cozumel (FPMC). The event aimed to bolster conservation efforts in the Laguna Colombia State Ecological Reserve.
Jesús Benavides Andrade, director of Punta Sur, welcomed participants and explained the importance of mangrove systems for biodiversity conservation, coastal protection, and ecosystem resilience against storms. Through an interactive session, attendees learned about restoration techniques and the progress made over more than two decades of work.
The group then entered the Xtacún lagoon, specifically the program’s educational plot, where they directly engaged in restoration tasks such as planting mangrove propagules, opening water channels, and other actions to promote natural ecosystem recovery.
The FPMC noted that experiential learning has been a key methodology for over 30 years, strengthening environmental education by allowing people to understand conservation through active participation in real projects.
The Punta Sur mangrove restoration program began after Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which severely damaged large areas of mangrove. Since then, the FPMC has maintained ongoing ecological rehabilitation work, now recognized as one of the most important and successful mangrove restoration projects in Mexico.
FPMC General Director Juanita Alonso Marrufo said these actions reflect the institution’s commitment to conserving natural heritage and fostering environmentally responsible citizenship, in line with the New Agreement for the Wellbeing and Development of Quintana Roo promoted by Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa. The initiative emphasizes social participation, environmental education, and natural resource protection as pillars for sustainable development.
