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CEDO Celebrates 30 years in the northern Gulf of California

By Peggy Turk Boyer, Rick Boyer and Paloma Valdivia

Sustainability is the word that defines the celebration of the 30th anniversary of theIntercultural Center of Study of the Desert and Oceans, A.C. (CEDO). The trajectory,

interdisciplinary and multicultural, has always pointed towards sustainability as an institution, for thecommunity and for the environment of the High Gulf of California.

CEDO is a profit free civil association located in Puerto Peasco, Sonora, where it opened

its doors in 1980 as a camp station, where they have programs of investigation and education,

focused on increasing the knowledge that they had of this region and promote the conservation of is

natural and cultural resources. With a 30 year trajectory, this is one of the organizations

compromised with conservation with the most experience in the region.

CEDO operates in the northern Gulf of California, which is recognized worldwide for its

elevated productivity and biodiversity; it also presents big challenges of conservation due to the

environmental damage caused by the over explosion of the fishing resources, the incidental capture

of endemic species and endangered species such as the vaquita and the Totoaba, the lack of flow

of the Colorado River and the destruction of prioritized habitats as estuaries due to the uncontrolledtouristic development. Along its history, CEDO has responded to this necessities carrying out

different education and participating investigations projects to try to create new sustainable

development models. On the other hand, it impulse the formation of the High Gulf of California and

Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve, and the Pinacate and the Altar Great Desert. Some of the

groups of work of CEDO have included students of all levels, professors, fishermen and oysters

cooperatives.

During the last decade, the focus of CEDO has been the conservation and the ecosystem

management of the Northern Gulf of California. Its vision is that all the residents and visitors of the

Northern Gulf, understand, appreciate and participate in sustainable activities and in actions that

support a safe, blooming and productive ecosystem. Our method is to learn about the region

through the investigation, sharing the profits of that investigation through educating activities andwith this knowledge unite the people in the protection of this ecosystem.

At present is working to reduce the potentially negative impacts of development about

coastal habitats of the region. Thanks to this steady work, big part of the estuaries of the region

remains intact.

In its marine program, promotes sustainable fishing practices and the conservation of

essential marine habitats. We work directly with the fishermen to monitor their fishery, understand

the impacts of fishing, promote its management and measure the affectivity of these actions. A

successful example is the model of management of the benthonic mussel fishery carried out by the

divers of Puerto Peasco, who in 2004 obtained the National Conservation Award, granted by

SEMARNAT. In conformity with the good management of the marine resources consolidates, we

will help out in establishing connections with sustainable markets.The job of CEDO is fortify and reinforced through a program of education of wide range in

the local communities. We take thousands of local students to our estuaries every year to promote

in them their participation to reduce the risk of these ecosystems through competition, beach

cleaning and other campaigns that include all the community. We offer summer camps and we have

an ecologic club. To keep up the welfare of these ecosystems and to guarantee the survival of

species such as the least tern, we have to work all together to create a sustainable future.

8/9/2019 CEDO Celebrates 30 Years in the Northern Gulf of California

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We invite you to join these efforts! Groups of students and investigators of all over Mexico

and United States continue using CEDOs camp station for their studies. It is also open to the

public; you are welcomed to stopover at our center for visitors that is build of tires and aluminum

cans, and to admire the skeleton of a 17 meter long fin whale, or you can enjoy our natural history

talks or our eco-adventures. This ecologic and adventure tours combined nature, art and culture,

and contribute to a sustainable life style of the local communities and the conservation of important

ecosystems.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of CEDO in 2010, we invite to follow us on the road to

sustainability, to assure a healthy future for the community, the environment and for CEDO.

For more information about CEDO, its events and its 30th anniversary visit its web page:

www.cedointercultural.org, send us an email: info@cedointercultural.org, or call us: (638-382-0113

638- 382-0115)

http://www.cedointercultural.org/mailto:info@cedointercultural.orghttp://www.cedointercultural.org/mailto:info@cedointercultural.org