Holiday Message From the CEA Director

It has been a busy year at Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA). We have participated in a number of events on reef conservation, sharing our experience in Akumal and offering recommendations in reef protection and management. CEA has worked hard to find ways to link scientific work to real action—helping to ensure that good science reaches decision makers and influences how we all use the coastal ecosystem. We have been working for better understanding of the threats that reef ecosystems face and ways to improve human interaction with our coastal ecosystem.

In addition, CEA has had a wonderful time working with the children of the Akumal schools to raise awareness and to increase knowledge of waste management, turtle conservation and water-use issues. Our marine turtle program was a success, with over 132 nests protected and 13,033 hatchlings making it to the sea. We also have begun regular reef monitoring. CEA has participated on numerous committees to influence land-use planning, tourism certification, best practices in marine recreation, and application of international criteria for sustainable development, among other topics. We vigorously have promoted the use of alternative technologies for waste treatment to reduce the destruction caused by both solid and liquid waste. Finally, we almost have completed repairing our offices, dorms and volunteer areas from the damage of Hurricanes Emily and Wilma in 2005, in time to receive some fantastic volunteers this year.

We face considerable challenges for 2007, mainly stemming from tourism development plans that will bring added pressure to our already overtaxed coastal ecosystem. CEA will have to push harder to help define sustainability for the region, and to increase our monitoring of the health of the coral and the quality of the water reaching the sea. We must also identify and apply direct protection measures in Akumal, from Yal Ku Lagoon to South Akumal, making sure they work. We are positive about our capacity to meet these challenges, especially when it comes to implementing the Akumal Bay Management Plan that we are currently working on. It is exciting that we have the right mix of concern and participation from all those who use the bay.

With growth accelerating, we will have to work harder to keep Akumal a jewel among the giants, testing how we can move forward as we try to demonstrate principles of sustainability—making sure these efforts bear fruit to real protection for and good management of our beloved turtles, reef and jungle.

Please join us in our journey to unite knowledge with action in 2007. We cannot succeed without you. Your donations make you a partner in protecting our beautiful coastal marine ecosystem, helping to make sure we move forward. You will be helping us to better inform visitors in our Information Center, to keep the process going with local schools, and will be contributing to our quest to apply solutions to waste management problems, including keeping garbage from the sea.

We appreciate your support and your inspiration to keep us going. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed their membership. All of us at Centro Ecológico Akumal wish you a loving and peaceful holiday season and hope to see you in Akumal in 2007—the beach awaits you!

All my best,

Paul Sánchez-Navarro
Director
Centro Ecológico Akumal
www.ceakumal.org

To charge your membership or donation online, click here, or write a check to YEF, CEA's fiscal sponsor, and send to the Yucatan Environmental Foundation, PO Box 2116, Madison WI 53701-2116. Both methods allow your gifts to be tax deductible in the U.S..