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Newsletter April 2022

NEWSLETTER

OUR MISSION:
Protect and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Charco del Ingenio, as well as maintain a botanical garden dedicated to the conservation and study of regional flora and ecosystems, mainly oriented towards environmental education.

INDEX

Vol.XVII, No.04

“Life is short and fleeting
It's a blink of an eye
It is a flower among thistles
A sigh and nothing more…”
-In memory of Leopoldo Estrada

POLO ESTRADA, WALKER OF CERRO GRANDE

With unspeakable sorrow we feel the death, last February, of our beloved Leopoldo Estrada Buenrostro, one of the founders and creators of the Botanical Garden, a member of the Board of Directors of our association and a fighter always dedicated to the defense of the biocultural heritage of Mexico, from San Miguel de Allende and the Valle del Maíz, his small homeland. In love with the oak forests of our mountains, he walked them, cared for them and loved them for years, seeking their preservation as natural areas to celebrate life. A doctor by profession, he attended rural communities from a very young age and was closely acquainted with the reality of the Mexican countryside. His passion for popular culture led him to be a great image maker, from whose hands emerged masks and mojigangas that gave life, movement and dance to the huapangos and popular dances, in San Miguel, in the Real de Xichú and beyond. But above all, Polo was a great companion and friend, a loving father and husband, a kind man who always radiated affection, humor and confidence to those around him and we were lucky enough to be his close friends.

THE NEW RECEPTION OF EL CHARCO OPENS ITS DOORS…

With great satisfaction we inform all the visitors, members and friends of the Botanical Garden that, finally, after a long and eventful construction phase, the new Charco del Ingenio reception unit has been inaugurated. This includes a new Interpretive Room, which offers, in an entertaining and substantial way, relevant content on the Charco del Ingenio ecological reserve, on the conservation project and on the hydrographic basin where the Botanical Garden and the city of San Miguel are located. . The new interpretive module, open to all audiences, is part of the educational mission of our organization, aimed at building a culture of love and care for the natural world, with special attention to the youngest population in our society.

The inaugural acts were sealed with the ceremonial presence of the mayordomías of Ojo de Agua and Valle del Maíz, indigenous communities of San Miguel de Allende that preserve ancient traditions and that have supported for more than 30 years the biocultural heritage that El Charco del Ingenio represents. . Likewise, members of the scientific and artistic communities of our municipality and other origins of the country attended, endorsing the confluence of science and art in the triple mission of the Botanical Garden: biocultural conservation, environmental education and scientific research.

The new reception of El Charco has been possible thanks to the confluence of many wills: architects, engineers, museographers, editors, designers, gardeners, blacksmiths, carpenters, etc., gathered in various work teams, as well as the contributions of numerous contributors that made this relevant project a reality. To all of them, infinite thanks (and an apology in advance for any possible omission).CREDITS:

ARCHITECTONIC PROGRAM
Peter Alvarado · Marco Barrera Bassols · Jose Maria Bilbao · El Charco del Ingenio

ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT
Peter Alvarado · Studio 15B

ENGINEERING AND WORKS
Hyacinth Estrada · EMAG Engineering

MUSEOGRAPHY
Marco Barrera Bassols · MUSEUM

GARDENING
El Charco del Ingenio · louis franke ·
Maguey Nursery

SCULPTURAL FOUNTAIN
Eduardo Olbes

STORE (FURNITURE)
Francisco Motta

DONORS:

Montemiro · Gillian & Peter Neumeier Foundation · Community Foundation for Monterey · San Miguel Community Foundation · Hernan Drobny

Kahren & Michael Arbitman · Mark Deutschmann · Regine & Francois Sicart · susan edelstein · Unitarian Universalist Fellowship · Vanguard Charitable · Maria & Goerdt Abel · Ronald Thomas

William Peters · Terry & Jack Reinhart · Francisco Rios Jimenez · Richard Gullan · Linda Whyman · Barbara Erickson · Honey Sharp · Fisher-Weisman · Andy Blair · William Lee Ginager · Carolyn Stutts · C Jobe · Guilt King · Christopher Hixson · Monica Gerez · carol jackson · Margot Dufrene Ketz · Eduardo Adame · QR Minerals

Kenneth L. Hillenburg · Leon Horowitz · Stephen Livingstone · Michael Pope · Marilyn Link · Christine McReynolds · Jimena Gimenez Cacho · Ray Miles · John Chapman · William Lipsey · Steven Goldstein · Joshua Ehrlich · Rod & Glenna Copeland · Alfredo Alcantara · Phyllis Pitluga · Ed Laun · Richard Mason · Joy Levine · Victor Hackl · Matthew Carroll · Daniel Neuspiel · David Zi Enterprises · Richard Plewa · Luke Rich · Dale Braiman · Robert Merchasin · Gregory Diamond · klaus schmidt · Weston Young · Deborah Chlebana · George Yatskyevich · Alberto Gonzalez Varela · Emiliano Sanchez · Kathleen Shepherd · naomi zurcher

VISIT SAN MIGUEL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION THE BOTANICAL GARDEN

In recent days, the members of the Board of Directors of this important philanthropic foundation, made up of Mexicans and foreigners residing in San Miguel, were invited by the board of directors of the Botanical Garden to make a special visit to the new facilities, recently inaugurated, for whose creation it was The economic support of said foundation is relevant. During the visit, the foundation's guests were able to see the renovated reception space and its new buildings. In a special way, visitors were able to admire the new Interpretive Room, designed to introduce us both to the Botanical Garden and the ecological reserve, as well as to the wide hydrographic basin in which both El Charco del Ingenio and the urban area of San Miguel de Allende are inserted. .
It should be noted that the San Miguel Community Foundation has for many years carried out its mission of financially supporting and channeling resources from North American donors to various social projects in our community. The Board of Directors of El Charco del Ingenio reiterates its deep and special gratitude for the trust and financial support directed towards the creation of the new Visitors Center of El Charco del Ingenio.

EL CHARCO DEL INGENIO ASSUMES THE PRESIDENCY OF THE MEXICAN ASSOCIATION OF BOTANICAL GARDENS

On February 24, during the annual assembly of the association that brings together and articulates the work of the botanical gardens of Mexico, El Charco del Ingenio was elected to occupy the Presidency of this important organization. In this way, we received from the Clavijero Ethnobotanical Garden, dependent on the Institute of Ecology that operates in Jalapa, Veracruz, the responsibility of leading the association for a period of three years.

Likewise, during the aforementioned assembly, the new Board of Directors of the Mexican Association of Botanical Gardens was voted unanimously, being organized as follows:
– President: M. in C. Mario A. Hernández, El Charco del Ingenio
– Administrative Secretary: M. en C. José Viccon, El Charco del Ingenio
– Administrative Secretary: Lic. Marisa Ávalos, El Charco del Ingenio
– Educational Secretary: M. en C. Carmen Cecilia Hernández, Botanical Garden of the Institute of Biology of the UNAM, CDMX
– Scientific Secretary: M. in C. Erika Margarita Pagaza, Botanical Garden of Culiacán, Sinaloa
– Treasurer: CP Verónica Sagelín Hernández, El Charco del Ingenio
– North Vocalía: Biol. Jesús Escalante, Botanical Garden of Los
Mochis, Sinaloa
– Center Vocalía: Biol. Mónica Rivas Avendaño, Haravéri Botanical Garden, Jalisco
– South Vocalía: M. in C. Hermes Lacustre, Cassiano Conzatti Botanical Garden, Oaxaca

The new appointments integrate a diverse and qualified team for the tasks of the Association and its representation in Mexico and abroad. And it also places the state of Guanajuato as a biodiverse territory, recognizing the trajectory of the Charco Ethnobotanical Garden during its 30 years of existence.

SPRING CONCERT: A SUCCESS

Thanks to everyone for your support!

EL CHARCO’S NEW VISITORS GUIDE

The new design of this guide –in Spanish and English– allows the visitor to explore and discover the wide space of the Botanical Garden and access magnificent views of the Charco natural monument. The guide contains a suggested route and shows a network of trails, accessible and guarded, as well as offering information on the various points of interest in the reserve: plant exhibitions, viewpoints, bird sanctuaries, historical ruins...

“We do not intend to change the world. What we want is to flourish”
Clarice Lispector

The flowering of plants is an extraordinary phenomenon, since there are many factors that have to coincide for this to happen. Now the days are longer; there are more daylight hours so we will begin to observe the blooming of cacti and other native plants, multiple explosions of bright colors that herald the arrival of spring. In this section we will present the most beautiful blooms of the Botanical Garden.

OF FLOWERS AND ETHNOBOTANY


The Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) is an endemic plant of the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango. Also known as "sotol" is a traditional distilled beverage from northern Mexico derived from this plant, similar to mezcal. Its production process consists of removing its bluish leaves, excavating an oven in the ground to cook the stems, macerate them and distill this alcoholic beverage. The ethnobotanical collection guards 6 of the 21 species of the genus dasylirion known in our country, and this year, for the first time, a specimen of sotol from the botanical collection blooms.

KIND REMINDER TO OUR MEMBERSHIP


We ask all members to carry their credential and register in the entrance book each time they visit the Botanical Garden. We also ask you to attend to the entry health protocol.

Thanks for your support!

NATURAL HISTORY TOURS IN ENGLISH ARE BACK

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am

Ticket: 150 pesos per person / 100 pesos members

Don't forget your mouth cover!

Soul gifts, musical gifts: Thank you, Michael Hoppé

It is very moving to see the ways in which people and sectors of our community support El Charco del Ingenio, a territory that has given peace, joy and nature to its users and visitors during the months of the pandemic.

Michael Hoppé is a recognized composer and musical producer, born in the United Kingdom and inhabitant of San Miguel since the 80s. He is an active member of the Botanical Garden, who recently has offered a lovely gift to El Charco, inspired by the daily walks he realizes on the trails of the reservation, in the company of his wife Monica. The work, Under Mexican Stars is a musical piece that takes you back to the most beautiful landscapes of Mexico or a night walk through the cobblestone streets of San Miguel. Beneath Mexican Stars (Under the Mexican stars), is a musical piece that can take us back to the most beautiful landscapes of Mexico or to a night walk through the cobbled streets of San Miguel. Beneath Mexican Stars (Under the Mexican stars), is a musical piece that can take us back to the most beautiful landscapes of Mexico or to a night walk through the cobbled streets of San Miguel.

Listen here:

ART AND SCIENCE IN THE BOTANICAL GARDEN
NEW SET OF 12 POSTCARDS: BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS OF EL CHARCO

Graphic work of four creative women from San Miguel de Allende:

Marijose Marín, Marisol Guerrero, Paquina Langenscheidt and Rocío Ríos

Available in our gift shop: 300 pesos