CEA continues to work on three main conservation program fronts---marine and coastal protection, sea turtle protection and water quality, in the Akumal region.

This year, our programs are focused on the following objectives:

Marine and Coastal Program:

• Strengthen and improve the Akumal Bays Management Program; improve tour operator participation; increase federal authority participation; expand program actions from Yal Ku to Aventuras Akumal, as designed in the original program
• Continue reef monitoring activities; increase marine research.
  

Sea Turtle Program:

• Strengthen nesting monitoring and protection activities
• Implement juvenile turtle protection measures in Akumal Bay
• Improve awareness-raising information on sea turtles in local hotels
• Carry out 8th Annual Tulúm Sea Turtle Festival in Akumal
• Successfully participate as president of the Regional Sea Turtle Committee

Water Quality Program:

• Carry out connection program in Akumal Pueblo
• Improve tourism sector management of wastewater
• Carry out water quality testing in Akumal
• Review at least 25% of Akumal's artificial wetlands
• Map contaminants in Akumal region
• Obtain funding for lab renovation

Environmental Sustainability Program:

• Formally protect jungle and mangrove land around Akumal
• Ensure adequate ecological zoning of Tulúm municipality
• Increase local hotel participation in CEA Eco-certification and Recycling project

Environmental Education Program:

• Improve classroom activities for Akumal Pueblo, including teacher training
• Implement recycling program for Akumal
• Improve educational materials for visitors

Communications Program:

• Increase conservation program information on Web site
• Publish informative brochures
• Improve information dissemination through all media
• Organize university group visits

We thank everyone for their support in helping us to achieve our goals. We will report on the results of these objectives throughout the year.

For the Gala Dinner on the 18th, you can buy your individual tickets (50 USD each) or a full table of 10 (500 USD) at CEA in Akumal, or with a click here.

There is a space on the PayPal site to note how many reservations you are making; they are non-refundable. $30 of each reservation is tax deductible, using PayPal.

Click to Image View: (Gala Dinner: Tables Map).

E-mail Paula Cook or Alma Boada at info@ceakumal.org to ask for your seat and table number, or to let them know if you have any preferences.

The CEA Festival is our most important fundraising event of the year, with all of the money going directly to our conservation programs. Be part of it, and enjoy helping.

Centro Ecológico Akumal is very happy to have helped with the magnificent event, Hope for Haiti.

Artists, musicians, restaurants and friends all joined to raise money for this country.

Led by LocoGringo and Akumal's community, Hope for Haiti raised around 9,000 USD.

Akumal is a place with cenotes, mangroves and a beautiful sea.

It is very important to avoid water contamination and to contribute to the good health of our aquifer system, in order to maintain our lovely sea turtles' habitat.

For further information about water, visit CEA Water Tips or contact Edith Sosa Bravo at agua@ceakumal.org.

Who has not heard the phrase, "Life is water"?

If we all know the importance of this vital element, why do the last studies show the presence of more pollutants in it?

We want to know your opinion.

• Why do you think this is happening?
• What are you doing to treat it well?

The News - November 13, 2009
Natural resources conservation pushed.

Link PDF.