The celebration of June 5, World Environment Day, began in 1972 and is one of the main ways the United Nations fosters worldwide awareness of the environment.
It was celebrated in Jalisco by a full week of eco-activities starting with an Eco-Fair held in the little town of La Primavera on Sunday, June 2. La Primavera is located 17 kilometers west of Guadalajara and marks the principal entrance to Bosque La Primavera, the celebrated pine-and-oak forest often referred to as “the lung of Guadalajara.”
Visitors arriving at La Primavera’s plaza on Sunday found themselves having to make choices. Nine workshops were being given simultaneously on such subjects as how to make compost, practical recycling, solid waste management and preventing and fighting forest fires. Fortunately, the workshops were repeated three times over the course of the day, so people would have a chance to attend more than one. Meanwhile, there were presentations by dynamic speakers like Salvador Garcia Ruvalcaba (A biologist and ecologist who is doing amazing things in El Grullo and Autlán), short skits by the children of La Primavera and even puppet shows with a message.
I managed to steal away—for a few minutes—the key figures behind this rich and well-organized program, Peace Corps Volunteer Alicia Crain and her “right-hand woman,” biologist Esmeralda Alcará.
The two of them had been studying one of the main problems of the town: waste. “People really didn’t know what to do with it,” said Alcará. “Every once in a while they would try to burn it. So we made a study of what needed to be done and we decided to start a program to show people what they could do with things that have been thrown out.”
“This Ecoferia project started about two months ago,” continued Crain. “We had the opportunity to apply for a grant through U.S. AID to support an event celebrating El Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente (World Environment Day). We then managed to get everyone involved: the Delegado, community leaders, the town’s Eco-Club, a parents’ group, even the Presidente of the Charros (Mexican cowboys). As you can see, the focus today is on education and awareness, on how we can reuse waste so less of it ends up in the landfill.”
I wandered about among the stands and my attention was soon captured by children manufacturing sheets of thick, beautifully textured paper, made from paper shreds held together by a “natural glue” produced by boiling linseed for a few minutes. Fascinating!
I also learned that Mexico produced 36,135,000 tons of basura in 2006; and which state do you think was number two in waste-making? You guessed it: Jalisco (I’m sure it’s not necessary to mention that the number one producer of garbage in the whole country is Mexico City.) But there’s hope. I learned that we could all easily recycle 75 percent of our basura if we just followed a few of the procedures being taught all day long in the little town of La Primavera.
Volunteer Alicia Crain, who resided in Oregon before arriving here, says she wanted to join the Peace Corps since she was 14. Because she studied environmental science and has a masters in urban planning, she was a perfect candidate for her present work as an Environmental Education Volunteer with Bosque La Primavera. “I’m hoping this Fair will be a stepping stone toward other projects in this community,” she says. Because this is the main entrance to the Primavera Forest, people here are really interested in improving the town’s image.”
Asked what her next project will be, she replied, “Managing this Fair has been exhilarating, but exhausting. My next project is to spend all day tomorrow sleeping.”