Conservation success often begins at the local level, but its impact can reach far beyond community boundaries. In southern Yucatán, a new achievement is demonstrating exactly that.
In the municipality of Tekax, Conserva Aves is supporting a locally led conservation effort involving five ejidos that together encompass more than 5,000 hectares (12,355 acres). Through the project, these communities are advancing the voluntary protection and long-term stewardship of key areas within the Maya Forest.
On July 10, 2026, ADVC San Pedro Dzula became the first of these areas to be certified, protecting 500 hectares (1235 acres) as an Área Destinada Voluntariamente a la Conservación (Voluntarily Designated Area for Conservation).
This milestone marks the first conservation area certified with support from Conserva Aves in Mexico. Beyond protecting critical habitat for birds and other wildlife, it strengthens ecological connectivity within the Maya Forest, the largest tropical forest ecosystem in Mesoamerica.
The project is led locally by the Junta Intermunicipal Biocultural del Puuc (JIBIOPUUC), an intermunicipal environmental and sustainable development agency that brings together local governments, communities, academia, civil society organizations, and government agencies. Across southern Yucatán, JIBIOPUUC works to advance forest and biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, sustainable rural development, and the protection of Maya biocultural heritage.
San Pedro Dzula is strategically located within an ecological corridor connecting two important protected areas:
- The Puuc Biocultural State Reserve, established in 2011 and covering 135,848 hectares (335,687 acres) across the municipalities of Muna, Oxkutzcab, Santa Elena, Tekax, and Ticul.
- The Bala’an K’aax Flora and Fauna Protection Area, spanning 128,000 hectares (316,294 acres) across Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.
Together, these protected areas and conservation efforts help strengthen landscape connectivity across the broader Maya Forest, a globally significant ecosystem that supports extraordinary biodiversity, stores vast amounts of carbon, and provides essential ecosystem services to communities throughout the region.
Addressing the threats facing the Maya Forest
Across the Maya Forest, ecosystems are increasingly threatened by deforestation, land-use change, habitat fragmentation, and land degradation. As forests become fragmented, wildlife populations can become isolated, ecological processes are disrupted, and the resilience of both ecosystems and communities is weakened.
The certification of San Pedro Dzula, together with ongoing conservation efforts across the five participating ejidos, contributes to addressing these pressures by securing habitat, strengthening ecological connectivity, and promoting long-term community stewardship of natural resources.
By protecting key forest areas between major reserves, the project helps maintain movement corridors for birds and other wildlife, including the jaguar, while preserving critical ecosystem functions such as carbon storage, water infiltration, and climate regulation.
Communities at the forefront of conservation
At the heart of this initiative are the local communities leading conservation in their own territories.
The ADVC model recognizes the voluntary commitment of landowners and ejidos to protect natural resources while maintaining local governance and decision-making. This approach strengthens local ownership of conservation efforts and creates opportunities to align environmental protection with community priorities and sustainable development.
Through Conserva Aves, participating communities are helping protect habitat for birds and biodiversity while building a more resilient landscape for future generations.
Conservation that includes everyone
Inclusive conservation is a cross-cutting component of the project, with a focus on:
- Gender equality, promoting equitable participation in conservation processes.
- Positive masculinities, encouraging shared responsibility and broader participation in environmental stewardship.
- Youth and children, fostering their involvement in protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Puuc region.
By integrating these perspectives, the project recognizes that lasting conservation depends not only on protecting ecosystems, but also on strengthening the participation and leadership of the people who live in and care for these territories.
Conserva Aves is led by American Bird Conservancy, Audubon, Birds Canada, BirdLife International, and the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC). Together, these organizations bring scientific expertise, conservation experience, financial resources, and policy engagement to advance locally led conservation and protect territories of life across Latin America and the Caribbean. In Mexico, Conserva Aves works with the support of its national partners, the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN) and Pronatura Sur, as well as local organizations and communities.
