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Environmental Education Program – GlobalGiving

Introduction and Acknowledgments

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to GlobalGiving and all donors who have made the continued development of our Environmental Education Program possible. Thanks to your support, we have strengthened environmental awareness across Sierra Gorda communities, inspiring students, teachers, and families to become active agents of conservation and sustainability.

Achievements and Results

1. Educational Sessions:

• We held 54 training sessions on proper solid waste management and water conservation, directly benefiting 1,517 students across various educational levels.

2. Educational Materials Distributed:
To reinforce the knowledge gained, we distributed:

• 29 posters on pollinators.

• 29 posters on solid waste management.

• 325 educational kits on responsible water use.

• 105 coloring books featuring Sierra Gorda flora and fauna.

• 180 copies of the magazine Hasta la última gota (To the Last Drop).

3. “Practices for Sustainable Living” Camp:
We organized a camp at Centro Tierra and Suelo Vivo Ranch, with the participation of 30 students from the Universidad Tecnológica de San Juan del Río, Jalpan campus.

• Day One: Awareness sessions on climate disruption, biodiversity (Ark of Life), regional environmental challenges, solid waste management, and wastewater discharges.

• Day Two: Field practices on regenerative soil management and ecosystem services provided by forests. The sessions emphasized carbon capture and water retention by plants, fostering environmental leadership and responsibility among participants.

4. Community Reforestation:
We distributed 20,000 trees of various species—such as flamboyant, paradise tree, jacaranda, orchid tree, ash, privet, guava, pistachio, among others—for planting in community spaces. This initiative beautifies green areas, improves local environments, and contributes to mitigating the effects of climate change.

5. Public Awareness Initiatives:

• Murals were painted in public spaces to promote proper waste separation, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem conservation.

• 200 informational boards were installed in multiple communities with messages about the responsible use and importance of water, aiming to raise collective awareness.

6. Teacher Capacity Building:
A total of 181 teachers successfully completed the online course “Sustainable Development: Tools for Climate Action.” This program equips them to replicate environmental initiatives in schools and communities, fostering long-term environmental and social transformation.

Next Steps

We plan to expand the number of communities participating in our educational sessions and to continue spreading conservation messages through visual campaigns and hands-on activities.

Conclusion

GlobalGiving’s support has been fundamental to the success of these initiatives. Each session, tree, and distributed resource represents a meaningful step toward a more sustainable future. We remain committed to nurturing environmental leaders and strengthening ecosystem conservation throughout the Sierra Gorda.

Links:

• Our website

We are happy to report that from March and May 2025, various activities were carried out as part of the Environmental Education Program, with the aim of promoting environmental awareness in communities in the state of Querétaro and neighboring regions.

1. Earth Festivals and Theater Performances

Twenty-nine Earth Festivals were held, featuring the play “The Future of Water is Today.” Through this fun and educational strategy, a total of 5,389 children and 2,574 adults were reached directly, with the active participation of 280 teachers throughout the 5 counties in the Biosphere Reserve.

2. Community Meetings

Twenty-nine community meetings were organized, attended by 2,574 parents. These meetings addressed key issues for local environmental sustainability, such as solid waste management, forest fire prevention, and water conservation.

3. Educational Materials Distributed

To reinforce the educational messages, the following materials were distributed:

• 765 informational posters on waste separation, water conservation, and pollinators.

• 1,355 educational packages that included materials on the water cycle, climate change, coloring books, and educational magazines entitled “Hasta la última gota” (Until the Last Drop).

4. Training and Support for Schools

A workshop was held at our headquarters known as Centro Tierra, with 52 parents who are members of school environmental committees. During this meeting, 14 solid waste separation units were donated, directly benefiting seven schools in the region.

5. Diploma in Sustainable Development

With the academic institution Tec de Monterrey, a certificate course in sustainable development: teaching tools for climate action is currently underway, with 269 teachers from the mountainous region and southern part of the state of Querétaro, as well as from the municipality of Xilitla, San Luis Potosí.

6. Celebration of World Water Day

World Water Day was celebrated in the municipal capital with the participation of the children's choir of the Municipal House of Culture and young musicians of the style "huapango", who premiered compositions of huapango songs with environmental themes as part of a cultural awareness strategy.

Conclusion

The activities carried out during this period reflect significant progress in promoting environmental education in the communities served. The combination of artistic activities, workshops, community meetings, and educational resources has had a broad and sustained impact on different sectors of the population.

We thank GlobalGiving and all donors for their continued support, which has made it possible to carry out these important actions.

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Informe de Actividades – Programa de Educación Ambiental
Periodo: Marzo a Mayo de 2025

Organización: Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda I.A.P.
Proyecto financiado por: GlobalGiving

Durante el periodo comprendido entre los meses de marzo y mayo de 2025, se implementaron diversas acciones en el marco del Programa de Educación Ambiental, con el objetivo de fomentar la conciencia ecológica en comunidades del estado de Querétaro y regiones vecinas.

1. Fiestas de la Tierra y Presentación Teatral

Se llevaron a cabo 29 Fiestas de la Tierra, en las que se presentó la obra de teatro “El futuro del agua es hoy”. A través de esta estrategia lúdico-educativa, se logró alcanzar a un total de 5,389 niños y 2,574 adultos, contando con la activa participación de 280 docentes.

2. Reuniones Comunitarias

Se organizaron 29 reuniones comunitarias en las que participaron 2,574 padres y madres de familia. En estos encuentros se abordaron temas fundamentales para la sostenibilidad ambiental local, tales como la gestión de residuos sólidos, prevención de incendios forestales y el cuidado del agua.

3. Materiales Educativos Distribuidos

Con el objetivo de reforzar los mensajes educativos, se distribuyeron los siguientes materiales:

• 765 carteles informativos sobre separación de residuos, ahorro del agua y polinizadores.
• 1,355 paquetes didácticos que incluyeron materiales sobre el ciclo del agua, cambio climático, cuadernillos para colorear y revistas educativas bajo el título “Hasta la última gota”.

4. Capacitación y Apoyo a Escuelas

En las instalaciones del Centro Tierra, se realizó un taller con 52 padres y madres de familia integrantes de los comités ambientales escolares. Durante este encuentro, se entregaron en donación 14 unidades de separación de residuos sólidos, beneficiando directamente a 7 escuelas de la región.

5. Diplomado en Desarrollo Sostenible

Actualmente se encuentra en curso el Diplomado en Desarrollo Sostenible: herramientas didácticas para la acción climática, participaron 269 docentes provenientes de la región serrana y del sur del estado de Querétaro, así como del municipio de Xilitla, San Luis Potosí.

6. Celebración del Día Mundial del Agua

En la cabecera municipal se celebró el Día Mundial del Agua, evento en el que participaron el coro infantil de la Casa de Cultura Municipal y jóvenes huapangueros, quienes estrenaron composiciones de huapangos con temática ambiental, como parte de una estrategia de sensibilización cultural.

Conclusión
Las actividades desarrolladas durante este periodo reflejan un avance significativo en la promoción de la educación ambiental en las comunidades atendidas. La combinación de actividades artísticas, talleres, encuentros comunitarios y recursos educativos ha permitido un impacto amplio y sostenido en distintos sectores de la población.

Agradecemos a GlobalGiving y a todos los donantes por su continuo apoyo, que ha hecho posible llevar a cabo estas importantes acciones.

Links:

• http://www.sierragorda.net