Finally! After 30 years of effort, the Cactus Sanctuary has been declared a Protected Natural Area (ANP) by the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR); with the legal figure of certification as an area voluntarily destined for the conservation of the “cactus conservation area”, as a natural botanical garden, in which you will discover the beauty of biodiversity and the charms of the South Californian desert.
Its formation as an ecotourism project took place between 1994 and 1996 and it was handed over to the ejido el rosario on June 5, 1997. It is located in the ejido el rosario, municipality of la paz, bcs (Las Gallinas), with access via the transpeninsular highway to san josé del cabo, 53 kilometers (between 45 and 60 minutes by car) from the city of la paz, it is possible to see more than one species of cacti, with a high density of specimens, unique in the world, with a core area of 6 hectares and 50 hectares of land as a buffer area. The area is natural and thousands of years old.
This space is positioned as the only Cactus Sanctuary in all of Mexico. And it is not only distinguished for being unique in the country; According to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), this natural botanical enclosure houses the giant cardón barbón columnar, one of the largest cacti in the world, with a height of 19 meters and a trunk of one meter wide, existing only in Mexico.
In addition, you can see plants such as the sweet pitahaya, sour pitahaya, garambullo, biznagas, nopales, choya, old men and the primitive cactus pereskiopsis, which is the only one that generates succulent leaves as a water reserve during the rainy season; as well as animals such as the peregrine falcon, hawk, roadrunner, woodpeckers, snakes, lizards, among other wild animals.
In turn, you can do bird watching, insect watching (arachnids for example) and mammals, such as desert mice, coyotes, foxes, squirrels, among others.
But how did the Cactus Sanctuary come about? Héctor Nolasco Soria, a senior researcher at the Center for Biological Research of the Northwest (CIBNOR), founded the concept of a desert paradise, and explains his discovery to us.
“It was born as an idea in 1994, when we, from CIBNOR (Fernando Vega Villasante and myself), started a project on cacti; basically on cacti from Baja California Sur. We started experiments with seed germination and, for that, we had to look for a source of seeds. We knew that, in the ejido El Rosario, Mrs. Arcelia, who unfortunately passed away last year, was dedicated to producing pitahaya candy, we visited her in El Rosario, to get seeds (…)”, on our way back to La Paz, we realized that in front of the cemetery there was a very interesting area where we found events that we had never seen in our lives; for example, we were struck by seeing cacti growing on top of the mesquites (…)”, a kind of pseudoepiphytic growth, he narrated.
Thus, among other natural phenomena never before seen on that scale, such as the growth of many germinated and young cactus plants under the shade (canopy) of mesquites and without human intervention; Likewise, cacti (pitayas and cardones) “with monstrous and irregular shapes, giant garambullo specimens, growth of long rows of vertical cardon columns on drooping arms, discovering very particular events,” said Nolasco Soria.
The founding team realized the importance of preserving the cactus sanctuary, coupled with the relevance of turning this natural space into an ecotourism paradise, as well as educational training and scientific research.
Cacti are a treasure of the ecosystem; they shine among climatic adversities, resistant to extreme weather conditions, so much so that these species even grew without human intervention and fulfill a valuable function in conservation in the region. Their diversity is wonderful, dazzling for any spectator.
When the project was first started, according to Nolasco Soria, around 200 thousand pesos were received thanks to participation in government support calls (SEDESOL); In this regard, “it was always thought that the cactus sanctuary should be owned by the ejido El Rosario as the owner, user and beneficiary of the project,” the founder clarified.
From the year of its inauguration until 2020, they dedicated time and effort to rehabilitate, provide maintenance work, rebuild trails and replace infographics for scientific dissemination; but the most important thing, according to Nolasco Soria, is to have trained the staff in charge of the area (all inhabitants of the ejido), including those who will care for and guide its visitors.
Nolasco Soria recognizes the great work and interest of Isaac Ortega, the ejido commissioner of El Rosario; who becomes a fundamental piece for the Cactus Sanctuary to have the fortune of receiving the ANP distinction in 2024. Which will attract a diversity of funds and projects for its improvement and use, he said.
“This series of actions allows that now with more strength, the El Rosario ejido has a cactus sanctuary, as a tourist and educational attraction. The ejido has generated other offers for its visitors, such as cycling routes, bird watching, or the consumption of handicrafts in the ejido. (…). This model will be successful, it is a project that we love very much, because of the impact on the conservation of natural areas and their sustainable use, in favor of their owners. I have proposed to continue supporting the cactus sanctuary as a scientific advisor, for the management of the flora and fauna of the natural park,” stressed Nolasco Soria.
Finally, the founder of the Cactus Sanctuary, reiterated that the achievement reached by the ejido, for the certification as ANP, implies benefits in environmental, social, economic and legal matters. For example, having possession of the property in question, having the environmental impact studies, and having those responsible for management, will allow them to access different supports from the state and the federation to achieve the conservation and improvement of the protected natural area.
Obtaining the designation of ANP is a reflection of the joint effort for more than 20 years of the ejido, its ejido commissioner, environmentalists and state and federal people and institutions that have supported the cactus sanctuary project.
Special thanks are due to Mrs. Arcelia, who was recognized for her activities of producing cactus-based preserves and crafts that promoted visits to Rosario and were the inspiration for the creation of the Cactus Sanctuary.
Thanks are due to educational and research institutions and professors and researchers for their scientific work, aimed at the study and preservation of ecotourism paradises, recognizing the virtues of South Californian nature.
Source: elsudcaliforniano
