Symposium participants
Even though the Haitian constitution mandates the establishment of a national botanical and zoological garden, Haiti is one of few countries in the world without a national botanical garden.
Following the January 12, 2010 earthquake, the need to establish a national botanical garden has become all the more important in order to develop a platform to conserve plants and habitats, provide horticultural training and environmental education, create a place of retreat and solitude for the local population, develop tourism opportunities leading to economic development, and play a role in poverty alleviation by providing rural outreach in sustainable horticultural practices.
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As we look for ways to conserve our natural resources and create sustainable communities, Denver Botanic Gardens in partnership with Sterling Ranch has helped create low-water sustainable landscapes at their demonstration site at Allis Ranch in Douglas County. Sterling Ranch will be Colorado’s first rainwater harvesting community and this project will set a new standard for water conservation in Colorado.
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Joe Tomocik
Denver Botanic Gardens today officially bid farewell to one of its long-time employees, Joe Tomocik, curator of aquatic collections. After serving the Gardens for 31 years, mere words in this blog will not capture the essence of Joe’s service to the Gardens. A whole book on Joe would be more like it! The establishment and success of Denver Botanic Gardens’ aquatic program and collections can be attributed to Joe’s hard work and dedication.
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Patzcuaro is known for its mask making artistry. Masks are used in various festivities such as the Night of the Dead, Festivity of the Virgin of La Salud and Dance of the Little Old Men. Before we leave for Uruapan, we start the day with a visit to a local mask maker, Filipe Horta. Considered to be one of the eminent mask makers in Mexico, Filipe Horta has won numerous prizes and is commissioned by various villages to make their festive masks. To view his work, visit his website.
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Patzcuaro was an important ceremonial center of the indigenous Purepechas people during the pre-Hispanic period. We stay in the heart of this beautiful town close to the two main plaza squares. In the morning we take a boat from the pier to Janitzio Island. The Patzcuaro Lake in known for its white fish and we see fishermen using their traditional butterfly nets for fishing.
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After visiting the Sierra Chincua Monarch Sanctuary, we spend the night at the village of Angangueo. A booming mining town at one time, Angangueo is located at an altitude of about 8,400 ft. Around this same time last year, this village was devastated by heavy rains and accompanying mud slides, which closed the whole village for several days causing economic hardship to the local folks dependent of tourists visiting Monarch butterfly sanctuaries. Remnants of the damage cause by the mudslide are still visible.
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We start from Morelia early in the morning northeast towards Tlalpujahua to Sierra Chincua. The drive is approximately three hours. One of five publicly accessible sanctuaries, Sierra Chincua is the wintering site of millions of Monarch butterflies that fly south to hibernate during the winter months, from November to February.
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As this popular trip offered by Denver Botanic Gardens and Reefs to Rockies returns this year, I am pleased to lead this trip again. Joining me are seven enthusiastic patrons of the Gardens and nature lovers. What is a trip without any travel glitches? Icy conditions in Houston, cancelled flights, delayed and missed flights….these were some of the few glitches we experienced, but everyone got to Morelia on time and with good humor. And so our first scheduled day of the trip starts without a hitch!
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