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September, the month of flowers… 

Whoever has visited El Charco during the month of September can’t forget the profusion and diversity of the aromatic and multicolored flowers on the green meadows during the rainy season. Flowers sprout from the trees and shrubs and the low ones line the paths like carpets of lilac, white, yellow, red, and orange, along the sides of the canyon and the presa and generally throughout all of El Charco.

Along with the flowers is a large diversity of pollinating insects such as butterflies rivaling the flowers in color.  In this month when the center of town is bustling with festivals and celebrations, a morning escape to El Charco is highly recommended – or a late afternoon walk to admire, among other things, the magnificent sunset over San Miguel, the Rio Laja valley and the mountains of Guanajuato.  A spectacular month for flowers, insects, sunsets, water cascading over the dam….come and enjoy. And speaking of which…

fotos Doug Hunt

WILDFLOWER IDENTIFICATION WALK

Richard Cretcher, author of the book, Flores Silvestres, a pocket guide to the wildflowers of San Miguel, will be offering a walk in the botanical garden this month to identify the multitude of gorgeous flowers blooming at this time of year.  The date is September 19th starting at 9:30a.m.  Cost is 70 pesos for members and 100 for non-members of El Charco. This is a popular activity so please reserve a space early by emailing nzerriffi@yahoo.com.

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW WEBSITE: 
www.elcharco.org.mx

Starting this month you can find updated and more information about all aspects of our project:  creating the garden, the botanical collection, biodiversity, the historical site, activities, publications, how to contribute, and much more.  It is also now possible to donate online and there are downloadable forms for becoming a member, renewing membership and volunteering.  We want to thank Holly Yasui with all our heart for her patience and creative force as our webmaster in helping launch this new, beautiful, informative site.

Exhibit of Snakes and Reptiles

The Boveda, which is located to one side of the Plaza of Four Winds, will be inaugurated shortly as the multi-use space of the Botanical Garden, starting with this interesting exhibit of Mexican biodiversity.  Live specimen of the main species of reptiles and amphibians of our region will be displayed.  These come from the Herpetario of San Luis de la Paz, headed by Raul Hernandez Arciga, biologist and herpetologist from the National Polytechnical Institute and an enthusiastic collaborator with El Charco del Ingenio.  The exhibit will be on display for almost two months and will have guided explanations and the occasionally special exotic sample of snakes will be added to the exhibit.

Sunday, September 7th to Thursday, October 31th
Open every day from 10a.m. to 7p.m.
Entrance: 10 pesos (members with cards, free)
Inauguration: Saturday, September 6th at 5p.m.

BOVEDA MULTI-USE SPACE:  AUGUST’S ACTIVITIES

Two important meetings were held in our new auditorium during August concerning alternative tourism in Guanajuato. The first was for promoters of tourism for the State and the second for civil servants of six municipalities, mostly from the north and northeast of the State. These meetings were sponsored by the Secretary of Tourist Development for the State and by Mexico Limpio A.C. and dealt with experiences, ideas for and the potential of rural tourism in the State of Guanajuato. The results were enriching and the sessions strengthened bonds between the participants.  El Charco hopes to offer many more meetings of this kind in the future.

Olivia Ledón to head Public Relations at El Charco

ARTISTS FOR EL CHARCO

Rodrigo Vázquez, originally from Mexico City, took up artistic photography from a young age. After a visit to the botanical garden, he offered us a series of excellent pictures, a few of which are shown here.

Guided Tours in English

Tuesdays at 10:00a.m. sharp (instead of 9); duration 2 hours. A hat, water and good walking shoes are recommended. 50 pesos for members and 80 pesos for non-members. Private tours are also available for 150 pesos per person (minimum 5 persons). Reservations are not necessary.

When One Tree Matters
by Walter L. Meagher

If it were one tree, in a forest, the adversities of life would not be noticed; but it grows against the patio wall, a solitary tree of little stature, as conspicuous as a hobbling man.  Its nearest neighbors are conifers shaped like gothic spires, reminders of the dignity of the Appian Way.  The leaf stem of quaking aspen is flat, as if it had been accidentally compressed, the reason its leaves toss and turn in the gentlest breeze.  There seems no conceivable utility in such a feature, except my pleasure, or yours.  If the leaves were a sail, the boat would win every race in a slack wind…
(read more)

FULL MOON CEREMONY
Monday September 15th at sunset

El Charco Gift Shop

Have you visited the new gift shop at El Charco? We recommend that you stop by to see a series of new products at the Botanical Garden. And don't miss the juice bar and cafeteria next to the Visitors Center of the Botanical Garden.

The egret in its new digs

Hi there. Even though I may look grouchy, in fact I'm happy since I moved here to the wetlands of El Charco. I have more food and peace and quiet here than in Juárez Park, my old digs. In truth, I couldn't have stood it much longer there, with all that traffic, the firecrackers, the noise ... I think that in the end, the pruning of the trees in the Park was a good thing, who would have thought it! OK, I'm outa here now, byeeee!

fotos Rosario Otero

You can make a difference

And you can make a difference with your contribution - volunteer or donate. We appreciate your support!! Please contact Naomi at nzerriffi@yahoo.com

E-mail any comments or questions to the Editor at charcodelingenio@gmail.com

“Botanical Gardens are not just places for conserving and displaying plants.  At the dawn of the new millennium, they are main actors in the defense and protection of the planet’s biodiversity, with a growing focus on the regional – thinking globally and acting locally.  And they are also builders of a new environmental culture for the societies that inhabit the Earth.”