Principal Investigator: Dr Richard Griffiths
Project Officer: Dr Ian Bride
Project Dates: 2002/05
Funding Body: Darwin Initiative
Project Website: http://www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/dice/research/azaxs/index.htm
Project Summary Purpose
To assist Mexico in the development of a sustainable development programme to conserve the axolotl and other endemic fauna and flora of Xochimilco through the promotion of nature tourism.
Project Activities
- Collaborative work collating data on the ecology and conservation of axolotls and the Xochimilco system.
- MSc training at DICE; in-situ workshop-based training programmes for trainers, unemployed artisans and Mexican students.
- Train local staff in tourism management.
- Establish a local wildlife association with resource planning responsibilities.
- Produce a land use and resource utilisation strategy.
- Design, production and distribution of a range of educational materials and commercial product.
Outputs
- Through training and implementation, to establish an on-going ecotourism venture and associated wildlife monitoring and conflict resolution centre.
- Axolotl/Xochimilco ecology data
- Mexicans trained: MSc Tourism & Conservation; amphibian ecology, conservation education assessment and community appraisal
- Trajineros trained as nature guides; unemployed artisans trained-souvenir production.
- Species/ Habitat Action Plan.
- Conservation education programme.