Welcome to our 2022 Newsletter!

Stay tuned for our 2023 Newsletter coming out soon.

KLM Contributors Lead the Way

Our organization depends on many contributors who lead the way, every day, to achieve our mission. Thanks to their donations and efforts, we continue to achieve critical milestones for Loreto and the environment. The success of Keep Loreto Magical, and its sponsor The Ocean Foundation, was recently featured in Credit Suisse’s "Pioneers of Progress", filmed on location at the Loreto Bay National Park.

Sand Dune Restoration

Many of you have probably seen or heard of the sand dune restoration going on in Loreto Bay between the sea and the custom homes. The sand dune area protects homes from wave action during storm events and high tides. It is a critical biological corridor for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. KLM is working with residents to remove exotic and invasive species and replace them with native grasses as an added protection for the coastline while increasing habitat diversity. To date, KLM and many volunteers have restored beachfront area in excess of 3 kilometers long by 30 meters wide. This achievement has been praised by Nopolo, Loreto, ZOFEMAT and the Marine Park.

Public Estuary Cleanup

The beach and many arroyos in the Town of Loreto had constant trash build-up that was affecting quality of life and contributing to downstream damage of polluted water running into the sea. KLM developed a Community Clean-up Program and there is much less trash now than previously. Trash is still a concern, so the City of Loreto recently entered into an agreement with ZOFEMAT to begin monitoring the beaches.

Recycling Center

KLM continues to support Cesar Diaz's recycling center, EnviroClean, and provided $1,200 USD to help import a donated forklift. The forklift arrived from Portland, Oregon on July 15. Cesar uses it to move compacted bales of recycled materials more efficiently.

KLM also collaborates with vendors in Mainland Mexico, sending shipments of styrofoam, cellophane, cloth, cigarette butts, tetra pack, fishing line, and clear brown and green glass bottles of beer. Trash collection from beaches and estuaries can now be divided into eighteen categories with nine of those now being received by specified vendors.

This program provides a blueprint for how EnviroClean and other recycling operations in the state can treat these materials and avoid the municipal dump.

Wildlife Rescue

Cecilia and Erik have been on the front line rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife that would otherwise have perished. Local residents get in touch with Cecilia and Erik when they spot distressed wildlife and the vets in town have been very accommodating with medical care. To date, they have successfully rehabilitated and released into the wild a two blue-footed boobies, a young male mule deer, a double crested cormorant and brown pelican (both with hooks inside), a yellow footed seagull, a giant land crab, a female peregrine falcon, a young male turkey vulture, and two spiny thorn lizards.

Community Supported Agriculture

KLM provides support to Luis Bastida, owner of Jardin Jesuita in San Javier, and twelve ranchers who produce fresh fruit and vegetables for the Community Supported Agriculture weekly boxes purchased through memberships. By promoting the growth of local CSAs, income opportunities become available for future generations to remain on the land. KLM gave a loan to the CSA to cover the costs of new plantings for the 2022-23 season.

Ranch Diversification

Water is our most precious commodity in a desert environment. Loreto is in its fifth year of drought (which may finally have ended) and some ranch wells are low on water. KLM is providing management and marketing support to 23 ranchers in the Sierra de la Gigantas who are responding to climate change by starting to plant drought-resistant crops.

Via a grant from New England International Donors, KLM is supporting the growth of a low water use, spineless nopal and a high protein grass for goats. The crop supports twenty-three ranchers who provide milk, cheese and meat to the community. If the ranchers stay on the land with these crops, then the most valuable part of the watershed for aquifer recharge will not be available for mega mining development. The first crop was harvested in October 2022.

Transparency in Water Management

The local Water District, OOMSAPAL, has been offered funds by KLM to perform an audit of their resources. To date that offer has not been accepted.

Additionally, Cecilia Fischer noted that sewage trucks were removing sewage from the sewer lines to address odor issues. It was discovered that the material was not being taken to the sewage treatment plant, but rather was being discharged on private property that was supposed to receive only fully treated, recycled water. Three different labs have confirmed some residents have been infected with Clostridium difficile and E-coli.

KLM alerted the landowner and community of the health hazard. The owner has fenced in the area and KLM volunteers have helped to clean garbage from the site.

Mega Yacht Accountability

The $200 million dollar yacht, Vixit, grounded itself on a reef near Danzante Island. The area was closed off and a study was done on the reef damage. The Ocean Foundation directly paid for the study and many community members provided assistance. Formal charges against the vessel from the Ministry of Transport (Port Captain) and CONANP were filed. The vessel was held at Puerto Escondido until remediation payment for the reef damage was paid. 

Remediation has commenced and will take approximately twelve months.

Marine Park Regulations

KLM printed 4,000 flyers of the new Marine Park regulations and distributed them to restaurants, public buildings, businesses and will soon provide the flyers to Loreto Bay businesses and tourist operators.

Nopolo Rock Baseline Study

A baseline study has begun counting and identifying the sea life around the No Take Fish Zone of Nopolo Rock. The study will be conducted in conjunction with the University of La Paz and the Marine Park of Loreto. The study will guide the Marine Park to implement best practices for sustainable and regenerative sea life in the National Marine Park of Loreto.

Murals

KLM funded the painting of eight murals in the Town of Loreto depicting Loreto Magico themes. All murals carry the Keep Loreto Magical logo.

Park Passes

KLM has allocated start-up funds for purchase of Marine Park use bracelets.

DAILY PASS

Loreto Bay National Park day-use bracelets can be purchased at the Loreto Marina OR in the Villages of Loreto Bay at the Casago office FN344 on the Paseo. Office hours are from Mon-Fri 8:30-5:00, Sat 8:30-2:00. Phone: MX: (613) 688 1292 US: (602) 698 8886  Email: Loretobay@Casago.com

ANNUAL PASSES

An annual pass, or Annual Conservation Passport, gives you access to 186 Mexican preservation areas and can be purchased online at: 

https://pasaportedelaconservacion.conanp.gob.mx/vistas/inicio.php.

Nopoló Park

In order to protect the clean water supply of Loreto and its regional biodiversity and biomass, a local initiative began to protect 5,000 acres of the Sierra La Giganta in the Municipality of Loreto. Protection of the park ensures that toxic mining does not occur in the watershed area.

The proposed land is unique because it encompasses five critical habitats: peaks, soft riparian slopes, oases, sand dunes and shoreline.

On 16 August 2023, our efforts reached fruition when Nopoló Park and Loreto II Park were designated national parks by Presidential decree to support sustainable development, ecotourism, and permanent habitat protection. These two new parks will support activities that are economically beneficial to local communities without sacrificing the natural resources that are essential to the well-being of current and future generations.

Monitoring the Mines

KLM remains watchful of mining interests in Loreto. Our commissioned heavy metals study for the Loreto Marine Park remains the baseline towards keeping in check the El Boleo Mine, 90 miles north of the Marine Park boundary. The study was conducted and published by the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico.

KLM supports residents of Santa Rosalia, who are immediately affected by mining, by empowering them to stop heavy metals reaching the Gulf of California. Two lawsuits have been filed by Santa Rosalia residents against the El Boleo Mine for toxic dumping into the Gulf of California. The Ocean Foundation and Keep Loreto Magical are supporting these lawsuits.

Support Keep Loreto Magical

Your contribution helps us sustain our programs and create new ones, all designed to protect Loreto and its surroundings.

Thank you! Together we can Keep Loreto Magical.

 Keep Loreto Magical is a fiscally sponsored project of The Ocean Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, DC, USA with the highest rating on Charity Navigator and, in Guidestar’s latest (2021) transparency ratings, earning the Candid Platinum Seal.

Donations are tax deductible as allowed by individual country tax rules.