In Mexico, small community forestry enterprises (ejidos) manage forests through permits established with the national government. In order to obtain these permits, ejidos need to develop sustainable management plans and present data on tree growth and regeneration to forestry authorities. Several communities located in Huatulco, Oaxaca State, have requested help in developing sustainable management plans for tropical dry forest species. PPI and the Institute of Ecology in Xalapa have conducted field workshops to transfer the skills needed to develop these plans and begin collecting data on the dynamics of dry forests, fragile ecosystems previously overlooked by forestry authorities. Pictured here are participants in one of the workshops in Huatulco organized by the Grupo Autónomo para la Investigatión Ambiental (GAIA) in May 2004. The training, “Sustainable Management of Oaxaca’s Dry Forest,” was provided by Silvia Purata and Chuck Peters of PPI.

The proceedings of the workshop, Métodos para la valoración de productos forestales no maderables con fines de manejo sostenible, produced by GAIA, are a useful reference tool for sustainable management of dry forests. Click on the above title for a PDF of the proceedings.

Meanwhile, PPI and the Institute of Ecology are working to enhance the capacity of local ecology students to satisfy future community needs by providing specialized training in applied ethnoscience at the master’s level. In this way, newly emerging scientists will be better prepared to work in partnership with local resource stewards to benefit the local economy and environment, while integrating local traditions and knowledge.