Projects.
climbing with big cats
In southwestern Aguascalientes, populations of large predators such as the puma (Puma concolor), a keystone species essential for ecosystem health, still persist. However, urban expansion increasingly threatens to fragment the Sierra del Laurel State Wilderness Area. The El Ocote Biological Corridor Project aims to maintain ecological connectivity in this region by integrating outdoor recreation activities, such as sport climbing and ecotourism, with biodiversity conservation and strong local community engagement.
The goal of this project is to protect and sustain the connectivity of puma habitat in southwestern Aguascalientes through a model of community-based conservation and low-impact tourism.
Project strategies include:
Biological connectivity: We use pumas as a focal species to identify key areas through camera trap monitoring. Additionally, we are mapping climbing routes and ecotourism trails that currently maintain functional habitat for pumas in the region.
Outdoor recreation as a conservation tool: We promote the participation of sport climbers and other landscape users in citizen science activities and responsible land stewardship.
Cultural appreciation of the landscape: The project will integrate sites of cultural and archaeological significance, such as rock art, into the ecotourism circuit, reinforcing their conservation while diversifying tourism opportunities.
Strengthening community-based ecotourism: In the El Ocote area, a well-known destination among the climbing community, the project will support local organization as a cornerstone for conservation and sustainable development through guide training and improvements in tourism services.
With this strategy, we seek to maintain functional habitat connectivity for puma populations in the region, promote community-based ecotourism as an economic driver, pilot a replicable model of coexistence between conservation and recreation, and foster a stronger sense of stewardship and care for the land among local communities.
