Amigos del Pandeño

Description

Amigos del Pandeño is a Mexican civil association that conserves the natural heritage of Julimes, Chihuahua.

It was created in 2008 by the Sociedad de Productores San José de Pandos to protect the El Pandeño hotspring and the biodiversity around it, above all the endemic Julimes pupfish. The group manages the spring as a protected natural area and runs a Technical Council that supports scientific research and a vital-signs monitoring program.

It works with partner organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies on adaptive natural resource management, water policy advocacy for the Rio Conchos basin, and habitat restoration projects such as a biofilter treating sewage from local homes and an irrigation water-saving project. It also promotes environmental education among the people of Julimes to build local support for conservation and sustainable development.

El Pandeño was declared a wetland of international importance in 2014, and the association continues to manage the site’s custodial wildlife conservation unit and monitor it against pressures from tourism and agriculture.