JARDÍN BOTÁNICO
San Miguel
de Allende
Guanajuato, México
charcodelingenio@gmail.com
FOREST RESERVE
"LA
CAÑADA DE LOS PAJARITOS"
THE
PICACHOS MOUNTAINS
In addition to its main purpose of managing and developing the Botanical Gardens in San Miguel de Allende, El Charco del Ingenio A.C. is also responsible for a Forestry Reserve of 90 hectares in Los Picachos, a nearby mountain range.
Los Picachos is a mountain massif of volcanic origin, whose peaks rise up to 2,600 meters in altitude, making them the most prominent in the region. The mountains are covered by grazing land and dry scrub on the lower slopes, mixed forest in numerous canyons and extensive oak woodlands on the uplands. The lack of vehicle access and the sparse population in the mountains have preserved the forest and its soil, thus retaining moisture which supports a wide variety of wildlife, both flora and fauna.
The upland oak forests contain at least seven distinct species of the genus Quercus, as well as other species of trees. However, the greatest variety is to be found in the canyons, with numerous species of tropical deciduous trees, some of them rare or in danger of extinction. Representatives of many other plant families, as well as native mammals, birds and reptiles are protected by the geographical isolation of Los Picachos.
It was precisely this natural diversity and its proximity to San Miguel that led the conservation group Cante to acquire, in 1991, a piece of land in one of the best preserved parts of the Picachos range. The concern that led to the purchase was the growing threat caused by a variety of long-established but destructive practices, such as overgrazing, land clearing, hunting, collection and capture of wild plants and animals, as well as the removal of timber, soil and stone. The planned objective was to work intensivly to conserve a central area, La Cañada de los Pajaritos (The Canyon of the Little Birds), with the goal of having the entire range officially declared a protected natural area within the foreseeable future.
The purchased area was fenced, a modest encampment built, minimal security established to prevent depredation, and a preliminary survey of the flora and fauna was carried out. At the same time, filtrating dams were constructed by using stones available in the area. The purpose of these dams, built over the river bed, was to slow the rate of flow of water during the rainy season in order to conserve both soil and moisture. In addition, two more dams were built to hold water all year round, principally for the use by wildlife during the dry season. White-tailed deer were also introduced into the reserve. After a period of adjustment in captivity, they were released and adapted to their new habitat without difficulty.
During this initial phase, a variety of scientific and technical advisors (botanists, zoologists, geologists, etc.) visited the Reserve. Their observations helped greatly in assessing and conserving not only the Reserve and its resources, but also those of the entire range. Nevertheless, and despite visits by state and federal officials, the conditions were not considered suitable to have the entire Picachos range declared a protected natural area.
Over the years, a a number of groups have organized visits to the Reserve. These visits, although primarily focused on the appreciation of the landscape and nature, also offer a chance to see pre-hispanic remains, such as rock paintings found in caves in the mountains.
In 1998, El Charco del Ingenio A.C. received, by way of donation from Cante, the Forest Reserve of La Cañada de los Pajaritos. This donation was made with the understanding that the work of conservation was to be continued, not only within the Reserve itself, but also in the surrounding range of Los Picachos.
Currently, the Botanical Gardens offers camping trips and excursions to the Picachos mountains, which can be requested at the information center, or by way of the through e-mail,charcodelingenio@gmail.com.