Communities conserving the coasts of Mexico

From the city to the coast

Ever since I decided to move to Sisal, a rural coastal community in northern Yucatan, Mexico, a feeling arose: How am I going to adapt to a completely new and different social dynamic?

I have always been passionate about life outdoors. My childhood is full of memories in camps andparks where I was curious about insects, plants and animals. Therefore, gradually, I developed an interest in biology and environmental sciences. 

The decision to change states arose precisely from the intention of contributing something to the world from a biological perspective. Navigating undergraduate study options, I found a program in Sustainable Management of Coastal Zones, with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary curriculum that seemed a great option for learning how to  solve coastal problems in my country.

First approaches and barriers to trust

With the help of my colleagues from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, we began to develop a circle to tackle the coastal problems. At first, the rural coastal community saw the university and the research center as an external entity. Some residents thought these institutions had come to “steal land” and would not benefit the community. Many saw students like me as intruders.

This perception originates from an experience shared by many communities – having   researchers collect local information without giving feedback or working collaboratively with the locals. 

This history of unilateral relations has left a mark of distrust towards external initiatives.

Adapting, learning and connecting with the territory

Over time, those barriers toward researchers changed, though when I first came to Sisal it felt like playing tug of war to work on action planning with the locals. I have had to rethink behaviors and patterns with how I work.

Year after year, I have become fond of and adapted to Sisal, its people, its customs, its rhythms.  I’ve fallen in love with its ecosystems – the sea, the beach, and the dunes.

 Recognizing how vast but also how fragile and vulnerable these ecosystems are made me feel that these sites should be recognized and protected.

When I finished my degree, I felt 50 percent rooted in my urban background and 50 percent tied to the coast. And, as anyone would do in a place they consider home, I began to find areas of opportunity to grow care and knowledge of the ecosystems and the quality of life of the people of Sisal. I had to find a way to give back to the community that opened its arms to me and raised me into who I am.

Thus, in 2019, Reciclando Dunas was born, a student initiative focused on the conservation of coastal dunes, fundamental for protection against hurricanes, safeguarding the habitat of birds and turtles and a refuge for hundreds of species of flora and fauna, ecosystems that are sadly little recognized in importance for the resilience of communities.

We obtained a first seed fund that allowed us to transplant native vegetation in impacted areas, start a PET recycling program carried out in collaboration with Sisal collectors and run workshops and environmental education talks in local schools. 

Everything started smoothly, but the same question remained: How could we involve the community so that the project transcended beyond us?

We didn’t want to be another project that arrives, extracts information and leaves. We wanted the community to own the initiative. The first attempts were a bit unsuccessful, since we were seen as too young and our advisors were also focused only on academia. We were not able to connect with the members of the community in the way we expected. However, the community set guidelines for us to improve. 

Allies, learnings and tensions

After several trials and errors, we found key allies: the palaperos. Dedicated to renting spaces on the beach to tourists, these people saw the conservation of the dunes as an opportunity for co-responsibility. We made agreements with them to monitor the areas we’d restored.

However, over time, a new challenge arose. The beach gained so much tourist and economic interest that the same part of the community that had collaborated with us began to prioritize immediate profit. More than three hectares of dune scrub were deforested to make room for new facilities. 

Although it was not an area where we worked directly, it was discouraging. As an organization, we also face tensions related to security and more fragile community relations, reminding us that conservation is never free of conflicts, which precisely highlights the apparent disconnection that the community can have with its ecosystems. This was a reality check and left us to consider how we make decisions and work with the community.

Reflections on governance and participation

Today, I can say that involving community in restoration work is a complex and nuanced process. It depends on histories, power dynamics, economic interests and trust that is built over time. 

There is no formula or manual. Sometimes collaboration comes naturally, and sometimes it is a great challenge. However, it is precisely in these challenges that the resilience of community projects is tested and where we learn that ecological restoration is only possible if we also work to strengthen social ties and governance for decision-making.