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