ABOUT US

OUR  PROJECTS

The Akumal Ecological Center was created in 1993 to promote environmental initiatives for the protection of Akumal’s marine and coastal environment, as well as its marine biological diversity.

Since then, we have concentrated on three fundamental areas: research, education and outreach; These three themes are developed through various programs and projects.

OUR VISION

We are a leading ecological organization with international recognition in the protection and conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems, offering learning experiences, through citizen science, that allow generating new agents of change with a sense of shared environmental responsibility.

OUR MISSION

We are a non-profit, transparent and sustainable ecological social organization, with extensive experience and international recognition committed to promoting the balance between the development of cities and communities with their marine and coastal ecosystems through studies, programs, projects, and activities, aimed at individuals and groups from the academic, tourism, government and organized civil society sectors, to enable them to become agents of change.

OUR  HISTORY

HOW WE GET HERE

In a search along the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Don Pablo Bush Romero arrived by boat from Cozumel. He came in search of sunken treasures from the wreck of the Spanish galleon, El Matancero. His expedition de él found the wreck, located off the coast of what is now Aventuras DIF beach, south of Akumal.

Don Pablo made a camp in Akumal (in Maya, “the place of the turtles”) to the north of where the shipwreck was located, which at the time was a coconut plantation run by the Tun family.

When Don Pablo realized that Akumal was the ideal tourist destination, he bought the plantation and the properties to the north of it, and to the south of Xel-Há. Once Akumal began to develop, with the help of his friends, he created the Akumal Yacht Club. Which, by the way, had no yachts and covered an area of 4 hectares.

Realizing that Cancun’s tourism development was growing along the coast, a unanimous decision was made to protect the potential tourist destination of Akumal. This is how the Centro Ukana I Akumal, AC, Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) was created in 1993, through a trust and the donation of the property of the former Yacht Club, as a way to generate funds and provide infrastructure for environmental initiatives. in order to protect the coast, ecosystems and biodiversity of Akumal.

AS WE ARE NOW

The CEA works with other NGOs, Mexican and international, enjoys alliances with government agencies at the federal, state, and municipal levels to carry out its work, as well as agreements with universities and national and international research institutes for specific projects, including training of resources, through academic stays and professional career practices.

Volunteers are an important part of the Organization’s work; Each program relies on national and international volunteers, students and social services each year.

OUR  TEAM

Hector Antonio Lizárraga Cubedo

DIRECTOR

Wendy Brito

CEA ADMINISTRATOR

Baruch Figueroa

COORDINATOR, COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS PROGRAM

Ivan Penie

COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Claudia León

TORTUGUERO CAMP COORDINATOR

Luis Vázquez

Elizabeth Bautista

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Marco Montes

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Pascual Pott

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

OUR TEAM

OUR BOARD  DIRECTORY

CARLOS ORTIZ SALINAS PRESIDENT

Partner since 1993 / Owner, Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness Resort David

Ortiz Mena López Negrete VICE PRESIDENT

RICHARD HOROWITZ TREASURER

Paula Batson SECRETARY Active Partner / Owner, Las Casitas Akumal

LAURA BUSH WOLFE VOCAL Owner, Akumal Caribbean 

RYAN WOLF VOCAL

LINDA MULGREW VOCAL Partner/Owner, Las Casitas Akumal

LYLE WYNETT VOCAL Owner, Las Casitas Akumal