Mexico makes up only 1 percent of the Earth’s land area but is home to one-tenth of all species known to science. In addition to the tremendous biodiversity inside its rainforests, Mexico is a vital stop over and wintering habitat for birds, mammals and insects migrating from the United States. Our two countries are linked by mountain ranges such as the Sierra Madres, the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, watersheds, oceans and wildlife that move across our shared border. Ultimately, what happens to rainforests in the Yucatan affects fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. and Mexico share 450 species listed under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and over 100 species on the U.S. Endangered Species list. Increasingly, these diverse species are threatened by deforestation, unsustainable land-use practices and the illegal wildlife trade. They include sea turtles, gray whale, bats, condor, jaguar, manatee, pronghorn, desert sheep, insects (such as the monarch butterfly), and a variety of migratory birds.

Credit: Bat Conservation International

The Wildlife Without Borders – Mexico program has been working since 1995 to conserve our shared natural wealth. The program provides small grants, delivers Signature Initiatives and coordinates the Trilateral Committee by partnering with Mexican universities, research centers, non-governmental organizations, private industries, local communities and indigenous people.

In 2011 the program funded 22 projects including Signature Initiatives: Managing for Excellence, Stewards of the Land, and Voices for Nature.

Our partnerships and projects include:

• Training in Chiapas for 250 wardens from 40 reserves throughout Mexico and Central America. This enables park rangers to face challenges including logging, illegal wildlife trade, forest fires, and human settlements.
• Supporting Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve project, which provides training in sustainable natural resource management for rural farmers in the forests of central Mexico. It is now a United Nations Development Program pilot project and model for reconciling environmental and socio-economic priorities.
• Training more than 2,000 teachers through a bi-national environmental education program at the San Diego Natural History Museum. The curriculum is focused on the species and habitats of the Baja Peninsula.