Community parnterships, social marketing and environmental education are raising the profile of the sea turtle conservation movement in Baja California Sur, Mexico, as documented in a new study by CEC member A.J. Schneller with Patricia Baum.
Fromsea turtle soup to fostering an emerging democracy, the Baja California Sur, Mexico sea turtle conservation movement is swimmingly successful. Where the Sonoran Desert meets the Pacific Ocean in Baja California Sur, Dr. A.J. Schneller and Patricia Baum document how unique instances of NGO/community partnerships, community based social marketing, and environmental education have changed the face of environmental civic engagement and endangered species protections in this remote corner of NW Mexico.
In a newly published research article by Schneller and Baum (VOLUNTAS, 2010) researchers document how the unique community outreach and education efforts of the Grupo Tortuguero conservation network in Baja California Sur (B.C.S.), Mexico have contributed to the emergence of environmental civic engagement and democratic transitions in the state. Over the past 10 years ocean advocates in B.C.S., both Mexican and American, have gained unfounded momentum in their efforts to save an endangered species that before 1990 was more likely known as a culinary delight than an icon of an emerging democracy. While culminating in an effort to coordinate a network of 19 sea turtle conservation community groups and 17 NGOs it’s important to understand the hurdles they have overcome to gain fishery community and agency support for the protection of endangered species.