June 8 is World Oceans Day—a day meant to celebrate the oceans of the world and to recognize our connection to them. Originally proposed by the Canadian government at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the day was unofficially celebrated every year since. In 2008, World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the U.N.
With the help of the Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network, events happen all over the world to commemorate the day, in schools, businesses, organizations, aquariums, and other places. Events include beach parties, sand castle competitions, parades, book signing, cleanups and pledge drives.
Also, In honor of 50 years of Dr. Seuss'sOne Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish entertaining children around the world, Random House Children's Books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Ocean Project, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are partnering to celebrate World Oceans Day. Seventy-five AZA accredited zoos and aquariums across the country, and more than 600 Ocean Project partners worldwide will host fun-filled family events inspired by One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, with the goal of teaching children about our ocean's great diversity of life and the important things we can all do to protect our shared world ocean.
You don't need to live near the beach to celebrate! Visit The Nature Conservancy online and explore the top 5 most interesting (and sometimes surprising) ways your life is connected to oceans!
World Turtle Day was initiated in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue, a turtle and tortoise rescue organization founded in 1990. The group brings attention to turtle conservation issues around the world and highlights ways each of us can help protect these gentle but jeopardized animals. Despite its hardships, May is a busy month for turtles. Many have recently emerged from winter hibernation and are beginning their search for mates and nesting areas. For this reason, May 23 was designated World Turtle Day.
Turtles have been returning to the beaches of Akumaland the Mexican Caribbean to nest for centuries. This is our legacy, to ensure their safe return to Akumal beaches for generations to come. In the spirit of World Turtle Day, we at Akumal Directwould like to share a few ways you can help to honor these fascinating creatures.
Protect Turtle Habitat
Become active in your local conservation commission or parks and recreation department, and work to preserve turtle habitat.
Don't Pollute or Litter. Pollution makes its way into bodies of water and wild areas, poisoning turtles and destroying their habitats. Reduce the amount of garbage you produce, and dispose of it properly.
Enjoy Turtles in the Wild. Never keep wild turtles as pets or buy them from a pet store. Learn to enjoy turtles by observing them in their natural habitat, where they belong.
Man-made lights are a huge threat to sea turtles. Please no flashlights, flash cameras or video recorders with artificial lighting during the sea-turtle nesting and hatching season.
Spread the Word. Educate others about the importance of protecting turtles from commercial exploitation, pollution and throughout the world.
See Disneynature's movie, "OCEANS" during opening week (April 22-28) and Disneynature will make a donation in your honor - contributing to one of the largest conservation organizations in the world, The Nature Conservancy. Working to protect the coral reefs in The Bahamas and other critical locations throughout the Caribbean and around the world.
See OCEANS, Save Oceans - Take a friend! For more information visitDisneynature online.
On Earth Hour (tomorrow, March 27th) hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations.
Have you ever wondered what that fish was you saw while snorkeling? Or how to tell Akumal’s famous sea turtles apart? If you’ve always wanted to know more about the wildlife you enjoy on vacation but are overwhelmed by science books, WHAT DID I SEE? is the book for you.
Written and self-published by former Akumal resident and frequent visitor David Nuñez. This friendly bilingual guidebook features over a hundred photographs of the region’s most colorful and easy to identify animals, including sections on fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and corals. Many of the photos were taken by right here in Akumal!
David is dedicating 20% of the profits from his book to environmental conservation works through Mexiconservacion, a non-profit environmental group based in Tulum which he co-founded in 2006. So pick up a copy next time you’re in Akumal. You can find it at the Hideaway Boutique (next to the bakery) and at the El Pueblito convenience store.
p.s. David is also looking for a US-based publisher to target tourists before they even catch that flight to Cancun, so if you have any contacts, let him know!
Akumal Direct will once again be sponsoring the "Wine and Cheese Table" at this year's CEA Festival in Akumal, February 17th & 18th. Please stop by and say hello!
For more information visit Centro Ecologico Akumal or contact Paula Cook or Alma Boada via email at info@ceakumal.org
This year’s theme, “Treat Our Water Well” is the top priority for 2010. Here are some ways everyone can help.
CEA's Tips to Treat Our Water Well:
• Please don't waste water; make sure faucets are turned off. • Protect trees, forests and jungles to prevent soil erosion and sedimentation. • Don’t pollute ground water with cleaning solvents, chemicals, cigarettes, or sanitary napkins. • Connect your house to adequate drainage systems, septic tanks or wetlands. • Separate organics and grease. • Use biodegradable sunblock. • Don't leave any trash on the beach. • Capture rainwater for use in the garden.
We are proud to continue to be a part of this annual event. Hope to see you there! Akumal Direct Reservations
For the first time ever, the WWC will convene in Latin America from 6-13 November, in the city of Merida, Yucatan, in the heart of the Mayan world. Many of the world's leading conservation experts, politicians, academics, corporations, artists, native peoples, students and many others will gather in Merida, Mexico to debate and act upon the most urgent environmental issues of our time.
With Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón as the Honorary Host of WILD9, the schedule is already filled with leading names in conservation today. Wilderness and Climate Change is a central theme – driving the message that protecting wild nature eliminates at least 1/4 of the carbon threat.
WILD9 is a project of The WILD Foundation, Unidos para la Conservacion, and many collaborating organizations, institutions and government agencies from Latin America and around the world.
Other topics such as Freshwater and Underground Wilderness, Climate Change and Biodiversity, Fire in Nature, Transboundary Conservation and Connectivity, Marine and Oceanic Wilderness, and the Role of Human Communities in Nature will guide the trainings, plenary sessions, local excursions, working and poster sessions, cultural events and celebrations. In one of many associated sessions, the world’s best conservation photographers will participate in the first RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) of Mexico’s unique Yucatan Peninsula.
James Balog, a professional American photographer whose work revolves around the relationship between humans and nature, will present a keynote during the plenary sessions at WILD9, the 9th World Wilderness Congress. It will be an eye opening to hear about Balog’s photography experiences and conservation work!
James Balog has garnered numerous awards, including the Leica Medal of Excellence, premier awards for nature and science photography from World Press Photo, the 2007 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure and the 2008 Outstanding Photographer of the Year from the North American Nature Photography Association. He has exhibited work at more than a hundred museums and galleries around the world, and is the author of seven books. Balog was the first photographer ever commissioned to create a full plate of stamps for the U.S. Postal Service, a 1996 release featuring America’s endangered wildlife.
The traditional Tulum Sea Turtle Festival will take place from October 16 - October 18th. The event is organized by the Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico organization (FFCM) and other companies as well as the public and government organizations of Tulum and Solidaridad.
The Sea Turtle Festival is a free event for the whole family, and encourages the participants to learn about sea turtles that are considered to be endangered species, and to familiarize themselves with the various organizations that are trying to protect them. Many artistic, environmental and cultural activities will also be a part of the festival. And... for the first time in its history and due to its big success and additional day has been added in order to do some more environmental activities and baby turtle releases in Akumal.
Currently, the Festival is conducted as a joint effort of civil society, private and government sectors in which companies and organizations such as the Parque Xcaret, Akumal Ecological Center, the CESIAK, the House of Culture Tulum, Xel-Ha Park, the Autonomous University of Quintana Roo, Tulum Municipality, the Municipality of Solidaridad, Global Vision International, Echo Bay Foundation, Workshops Zero, the Commission of Natural Protected Natural Areas, the Ministry of Urban Development and Environment State Government of Quintana Roo, the Directorate-Xcacelito Xcacel Sanctuary, the Hotel Nueva Vida de Ramiro, Save the Children Foundation and the Origins of Quintana Roo.
Activities are organized by various associations and institutions dedicated to environmental and cultural work, such as the Ecological Center of Akumal, the Eco Bahia Foundation and the Environmental Management Department of Tulum and Solidaridad’s municipalities. Also, the Sea Turtle Sanctuary Xcacel-Xcacelito will recreate a collective experience through a symbolic liberation of the baby sea turtles. Each participant will be able to be a part of this project, which is a tribute to the oldest inhabitants of our beaches and sea.
As many of you may know, Playa Xcacel, here in the Quintana Roo, Riviera Maya, Mexican Caribbean, is an important nesting site for the green and loggerhead turtles. It has a designation as a state protected turtle sanctuary. There is a long and very dubious background that leads to the current moment where land on the northern border of the protected area is in the approval process for development of yet another resort community; a third incarnation of the project now called Punta Carey. They have filed their impact statement to SEMARNAT , Mexico's environmental ministry. It is in violation of various environmental laws and a refute has been filed and is now in the hands of SEMARNAT as well. It is my understanding that by next week 9/18 SEMARNAT is supposed to have a reply.
Please take a few minutes to look at this link, sign the petition and pass it on. The effects and fall-outs of these type of illegal projects touch the Mesoamerican Reef, mangroves, underground rivers, as well as the endangered turtle species....it is all connected, and is part of the patrimony of us all as global citizens.
Sea Turtles have been returning to the beaches of Akumal and the Mexican Caribbean to nest for centuries. This is our legacy, to ensure their safe return to Akumal beaches for generations to come.
Beginning in May and through September, female sea turtles will make their way out of the sea to the beaches where they will hopefully dig their nests and deposit eggs. A female sea turtle may come ashore many times before finally laying her eggs.
The eggs mature in 58 days. Right around the beginning of July we will see baby turtles dig their way out of their nests and begin the journey back to the sea.
Minnesota Zoo with the help of Just Imagine Vacations, Inc have organized a week-long Sea Turtle Camp in Akumal. The camp is for students in Grades 10 - 12. Students will work nights with the CEA, Centro Ecologico, Akumal's Turtle Protection Program staff and volunteers.
During the nesting season, CEA turtle biologists, interns and volunteers walk the beaches of Akumal in search of turtle nests, nesting female turtles and hatchlings. Volunteers have been helping the CEA Turtle Team by reporting sightings of turtles, turtle tracks, nests, or hatchlings. See the CEA'S Visitor Programs for more information.
As part of our celebration to commemorate World Water Day, The CEA, in coordination with CAPA (Comision de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado) and the children of Akumal, painted a mural on the new pumping station on 19 March. The painting depicts the hydrological cycle of water.
Over the last three years, CEA’s Water Quality Program carried out an evaluation of the sewage treatment in Akumal to understand the kind of treatment being used in the area, for both the coastal and town sections of Akumal. We found that 49% of the treatment being used in North Akumal is done using artificial wetlands, 27% with just septic tanks and 5% using treatment plants. We did not have access to the rest of the houses. In Akumal Pueblo, we found that in Phase 1, people have sewage, but not all of the houses are connected to the system, and in Phase 2 the people do not have sewage lines. This year, we want to extend the area of research to South Akumal, and conduct a census from Akumal Beach Resort to Bahia Principe, to determine how wastewater is being treated.
With the results of the diagnosis we will be able to determine the activities that we need to promote with the community and the government in order to ensure that all of the sewage is being treated, thus not reaching the underground rivers and eventually the reef.
Now, CEA and CAPA (the state water commission) are doing a census in Akumal Pueblo to find out which houses are not connected to the existing system and we are looking for money to help these people pay for connecting their house. We are working with the Friends of Yal Ku Lagoon and the Yucatan Environmental Foundation to set up a trust fund that will offer micro-credits to low-income households. These funds will be matched by the Mexican state and federal government water agencies. The local program has been named "Hook a House."
Akumal Direct is proud to continue to be a part of this event which hopes to raise awareness and the many CEA programs that are so important to the continued well being and enjoyment of this little corner of paradise.
Tours, Games, Workshops, Environmental Products, a Silent Auction and much more! - To learn more about the festival please visit the CEA online at www.ceakumal.org To volunteer or donate to the Silent Auction please contact the CEA via email at info@ceakumal.org
Akumal Direct will again be hosting the "Cheese Table" at this years festival. Please stop by and visit with the Akumal Direct staff. We love the CEA and we love cheese!
Akumal Direct is very proud to have been a sponsor of the third annual, CEA, Save our Seas Festival. Please read below for more information on the gala event. Akumal's Ecological Center has proven to be a valuable resource to our community providing leadership as we work to be the best community we can be and set ever high standards for our selves and other communities around the world. For more information on the CEA, please visit, www.ceakumal.org.
Please read below for more information on the Gala Event (reprinted courtesy of the Centro Ecologico de Akumal website). We hope to see you there next year!
Third Annual CEA Festival – Save Our Seas February 20 & 21, 2008
All of us at CEA would like to take the opportunity to thank each and every person who helped so generously with their time and support to make this 2008 festival such a special event. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves and thank you all for participating. CEA’s success depends on its ability to raise funds for its conservation activities, and the annual festivals are an important source of funding.
This year we were able to raise just over $10,000 USD from our Silent Auction, Gala Dinner and Online Auction. These funds will be used to focus on implementing our Akumal Bay Management Program, on employing a strategy to improve water quality in the Akumal region, and on beginning this year’s turtle nesting season with everything in place to make sure as many hatchlings as possible safely make their way to the sea, among other goals for 2008.
We started the festival with a beach clean-up, puppet show, sand sculptures and a performance by Veinte Varos. In the evening, a wine and cheese hour began with the Silent Auction opening and a reef slide show. We then moved onto the beach in front of CEA for a Mayan blessing to honor our planet and our place within Nature. A fire dance prepared us for the lunar eclipse—a wonderful way to begin a celebration of the sea.
Thanks to entertainment: Gerardo Dominguez, Master of Ceremonies; Veinte Varos; Karin ten Cate; Karen Mercer; Julio and Nicol, fire dancers; and Aniseto
Of course, we thank everyone who donated items for the Silent and Online Auctions.
We could not have had such success without the following volunteers who made this year’s event possible: Lydia Pontius, Festival Director Myrna Sparks, Auction Chair Sharon Goby and Jody Allen, Decoration Committee June Sloan, Treasurer Mike Cook and Bob Anders, Bar Committee Ed Blume, Online Auction Organizer Alexandra Bradley, Editor
Volunteers: Cathy Cook, Alan Cunningham, Marcy and Memo Essy, Mary Beth Jones, Janie Linke, Joy Lippincott, Shami McCormick, George Parker, Charlene Powell, Paula Preston, Mike Sheperd, Natalie Novak, Connie Smith, Alex van Kuilenburg, and Judy Withington.
CEA Volunteers: Rowan Abel, Natalie Biafori, Jeroen Biemans, David Breeze, Claudia Cheng, Alice Cheucle, Ewan Doswell, Becky Harris, Bob Klotz, Misael Lanche, Gregory Gueble, Lisa Kunegs, Jim Petersen, Argel Rodrigues Arana, Scarlett Rogers, and Hein van Riet.
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- 2010 Akumal Direct Reservations. All Rights Reserved.
