Cleaning the forest

• March 2004 in Saltillo City (Mexico)
• Darío López-Mimbela (DSM Anti-Infectives, Fersinsa Gb)

In November 2003 the first cleaning action already took place in Camino del Cuatro. "Profauna suggested to develop The Torch dream as a part of a national event for environment protection, ending on November 29, 2003. Thus, we could get the support from students and forest rangers, besides the Fersinsa Gb people. In total the group consisted of 78 people!", Dario explained. In September 2004 the employees and volunteers will come in action again.

The opening of this event was done by the Mayor of Salitillo City, Humberto Moreira.

• Three trucks of trash were collected.
• Three kilometers of road were cleaned.
• Containers for trash were replaced.
• A signal to identify Camino del Cuatro was placed at the beginning of the road.
• Commitment to keep this place clean was reached.

At the end of the day, the dreamer Darío thanked all the people involved in this cleaning action.

Cleaning the forest, at the place known as “Camino del Cuatro” a part of Sierra de Zapalinamé, in Coahuila, Mexico. The main goal is to rescue this area from its current polluted and neglected state. Specific goals are:

• To pick up all the rubbish and rubble from the area.
• Install signage that indicates reasons for its importance.
• Clean an adjacent area together with local authorities.

Saltillo City is located at the foot of a mountain called Sierra de Zapalinamé, which is a part of one of Mexico’s mountain chains. Since the foundation of this city up until the last century, the road from Mexico City to Saltillo City crossed these mountains at the point called Camino del Cuatro. Later on a new road was built and the Camino del Cuatro was no longer used. Since it is at the edge of the city, it became a point where people used to throw away their rubbish and rubble.

Mountains and their pine trees forest are part of Saltillo’s attractive surroundings and it is such a pity that they are damaged due to the lack of attention and maintenance.

Importantly, water wells that supply water for the city are fed from rainwater collected in this area, so the rubbish and rubble pose a contamination risk to the city water. Also there have been at least two forest fires in the past, partially due to all the rubbish found there.

Nowadays there are no signposts in place to indicate the area’s historical (President Benito Juárez came to Saltillo passing through the area in the 19th century) and ecological importance.

Some years ago local authorities built up a campsite three kilometers from the beginning of the road called "Las Palapas". Rubbish containers were provided. These containers were insufficient and due to lack of maintenance are damaged and do not serve their purpose. Consequently rubbish is strewn about and pollutes the area. Besides rubbish there is a lot of rubble placed there by locals and a state enterprise that built some houses in the area.

“After the approval of my dream, we went to the local delegation of Profauna (a citizens organization to protect the environment and native fauna). They suggested we develop this plan as a part of a national campaign for environment protection that ended on 29 November 2003. Thus, we could get the support from students and forest rangers as well as  the Fersinsa Gb people.” Dario explained.

Dario continued: “Based on inspection visits to the site, we decided the scope of this project would extend along the first 3 kilometers (road’s total length is 19 kilometers), including the adjacent brooks. These first three kilometers start at the beginning of the road and end at the point known as “Las Palapas”, the campsite that was built some years ago. The rest of the road is within a restricted area and is clean.”

Another big pile of rubble will be removed by local authorities working together with Fersinsa Gb during 2004. This project will also cover the periodic collection of trash.

Fersinsa Gb will provide the tools for the clean-up, including removal of the rubbish collected on 29 November and the periodic collections thereafter. Fersinsa Gb will also provide signage to identify the area. Further activities will consist of the collection of rubbish, the removal of the big piles of rubble and to lobby for the whole of Camino del Cuatro to be included within the restricted area.