Take a break from the stress and come to the Sierra Gorda mountains to relax.  Have your pick between staying in one of our cozy cabins or try camping. You can stay in cabins next to a crystalline river and hike along Río Escanela to find the amazing natural tunnel known as Puente de Dios (God´s Bridge). Sit upon a mountain top and let your eyes do the hiking with the all encompassing view from Cuatro Palos where you can see everything from the 18^th century Ex-convent of Bucareli to the monolith that looms over the designated “Magic Town” of Bernal. Whether you are looking for a quiet getaway, or to share your love for nature with the family, or to celebrate with a larger group of friends, Sierra Gorda Ecotours can offer you everything you need for an unforgettable journey.

Ninety-five images of the landscapes and biodiversity of the Sierra Gorda decorate the Alameda Hidalgo, a park in the historic center of Querétaro City.  Photos and graphic designs of 3 artists bring the ecosystem diversity and natural beauty of the Sierra Gorda to the citizens of Querétaro and visiting tourists.  Spectacular photographs, with nighttime lighting, measure almost 2m X 2m and include explanations of the actions taken to conserve the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve and its natural resources of global importance.  Bombardier, a Canadian business in the state, sponsored the printing and the exhibition itself is a collaboration between Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda, the Institute of Culture of the Municipality of Querétaro, Pulso Joven (Young Pulse), SECTUR and the United Nations Development Program.  Jorán Martínez, graphic designer, Elena Baca and Rubén Navarrete, photographers contributed with the images that are attracting the attention of the public to learn about the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.

In recent months participants from all over the country have congregated at the main campus of the Sierra Gorda Earth Center in Jalpan de Serra, Queretaro State, for courses and workshops in different topics to train and share best practices.  A third generation educators entered the diploma course "Teaching and learning for a sustainable future" in Querétaro and Jalpan, and other workshops include "Development of the Enterprising Capacity of Small Business Managers", "Holistic Management for competitive cattle breeding", and a workshop on “Monitoring and Protecting the Jaguar in the Eastern Sierra Madre".  The multimedia technology and the natural environment of the Biosphere Reserve ensure that students enjoy the training both in the classroom and in the field.  Our program of forums and workshops for 2009 will be up on the internet shortly.

Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda staff is using a novel technique to study some of the world´s most charismatic wildlife species that live in the forests and jungles of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.  With digital cameras which sense motion and heat, we are able to gather information about top-level carnivores like jaguars and pumas without disturbing them or disrupting their natural behavior.  We attach these cameras to trees along trails and streams which make natural travel corridors for these elusive feline species.  Just like us, wildcats like to travel the path of least resistance.   After three weeks the cameras are collected to see the images “caught” in the camera “traps ” and subsequently relocated. 

Offset your carbon here. The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve is a mountainous region with over 600 communities traditionally practicing subsistence agriculture on steep slopes.  Over time this has put great pressure on the Reserve´s forests and has jeopardized their natural ability to provide ecosystem services.  Through our program of “Carbon Sequestration in Communities of Extreme Poverty” we work with landowners to reforest degraded lands capturing carbon dioxide, restoring watershed health, and creating wildlife habitat.  This project provides local landowners with a long-term source of additional income, and provides investors with the opportunity to improve their social and environmental responsibility, while achieving concrete climate and community benefits. 

The Sierra Gorda´s Community Cooperatives offer high-quality regional products under the registered name "Productos Sierra Gorda".  We have new styles of hand-embroidered fleece tops perfect for the winter season; choose a tea set, or ceramic mugs for drinking hot cider; serve desserts with dried fruits in natural honey at your holiday parties; give gifts of local fruit jam made by the microenterprise Alimentos Pura Vida.  See all of the products in our on-line catalogue holiday gifts with community flavor.

  The World Conservation Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)  was celebrated in the City of Barcelona  from the 4th to 14th of October, bringing together more than 8,000 conservationists and leaders in sustainable development, coming from governments, NGOs, businesses, international organizations, and academia.  Participants debated, shared ideas, learned from each other, forged new networks and alliances, and made decisions.  The objective: ideas, actions and solutions for a sustainable and diverse world.  Group Ecológico Sierra Gorda, 1000th member of the IUCN, sent Roberto Pedraza Ruiz as its representative to participate in a variety of events including as a speaker at the Conservation Café about "Development of Ecosystem Services products in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve; Conservation and Economic Options for Areas of Extreme Poverty" the workshop "The protection, improvement and restoration of forest ecosystems in a voluntary carbon market: challenges and opportunities", organized by the Catalonian NGO AccióNatura; "Mediators of change?  The relevance and potential of protected areas for adaptation to climate change" organized by the Governance of Biodiversity (GoBi) Project, led by Ernst Moritz at Arndt University of Greifswald, Germany, as well as the workshop organized by the British organization Flora and Fauna International titled "Appraisal of Natural Capital: eliminating barriers for market valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services."  Sierra Gorda also presented two posters: Sierra Gorda Earth Center, Education, Community and Conservation and Ecotourism in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, Development and Conservation not to mention contributing to the Conservation Cinema with "Fire, Emergency in the Forest!"  All of these activities constituted a solid presence in the Congress and provided the opportunity to obtain new allies and contacts.