CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TOGETHER provide the critical building blocks for a robust conservation ethic, which is a fundamental requirement for effective, long-term biodiversity protection. Some of the strongest and most respected civic organizations in the Gulf of California are its environmental NGOs. These NGOs play an essential role in bridging the gap between policies affecting communities’ livelihoods and decision-making about natural resources.
The various “Waterkeeper” NGOs of the Baja peninsula—Magdalena Baykeeper, La Paz Coastkeeper, Tijuana Waterkeeper, Los Cabos Coastkeeper, Punta Abreojos Coastkeeper, Loreto Coastkeeper (aka EcoAlianza) and others—are part of an international network seeking to connect local communities with their local watershed and bodies of water. They monitor water pollution, educate in classrooms, organize legal action, run volunteer cleanups, and protect wetlands.
In southeast, an NGO working in Sinaloa and Nayarit named SuMar educates and engages the public to protect Marismas Nacionales, one of the most important coastal wetlands in Pacific North America . SuMar inspires local communities to participate in public discussions and learn about natural resources through various media, including theater and artwork. Videos of their work are available online at Vimeo
Legal organizations like CEMDA play a very different but essential role in civic engagement, providing legal services to other NGOs and facilitating public engagement in decision-making about coastal development, natural resources management, fisheries, and wetlands. CEMDA promotes transparency and government accountability through legal tools that require public disclosure of agency documents and, in some cases, pursues litigation.