Bahía de Kino, Sonora.- Cosme Damián Becerra, leader of the Grupo Tortuguero de Bahía de Kino, won the Recognition for the Conservation of Nature 2020 granted by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp).
This award, according to the agency, recognizes the efforts of society to preserve and restore ecological balance and protect biodiversity in Protected Natural Areas.
Cosme was a fisherman. For 15 years, he decided to dedicate his life to protecting endangered species and the conservation of nature reserves in his community. He is not a biologist, doesn’t have a college degree, but his love for the environment led him to become a recognized specialist in his field of work, and today he is a reference in the field.
“I like to spread the word so people know what is being done to care for our endangered species,” nature is very beautiful, we are always waiting for someone to ask us something to give them an answer. as far as our knowledge reaches, because what we have learned has been with our actions ”, said Cosme.
The Becerra family, his family, ten years ago became the Grupo Tortuguero de Bahía de Kino . Parents, cousins, brothers, wives, children: fourteen relatives acquired “La Tortuguera”, a boat that they bought sacrificing their income, and began to sail the sea in search of turtles for their monitoring and rescue.
Bahía Kino is a town in the Mexican state of Sonora, Hermosillo (municipality), on the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California); it was named after Eusebio Kino. It has a population of approximately 7,000 people. The name also applies to the adjacent bay between Tiburón Island and Punta San Nicolás, Sonora. The names Bahía de Kino, Bahía Kino and Kino Bay are used interchangeably.
Cosme directs the project with which they also tour, monitor, and clean the San Pedro Mártir Island Biosphere Reserve and the Ramsar site 2154 Wetlands of Laguna La Cruz, where they also monitor other marine species and birds in collaboration with Prescott College, an institution who decided to nominate Cosme before Conanp.
“It is something that you do here and you think that nobody notices, but, in reality, you are in view of everyone, what you are doing here in Bahia Kino, is recognized with these awards. We have been in constant conservation of the environment for the last 15 years and now we can see the results ”.
For Cosme, receiving this recognition, which is also for his entire team, means continuing with the commitment to fight for these natural spaces that should be of concern and importance to everyone.
“As I told you, I am in front of everyone, but I have a team that supports me and has always supported me, which is my family and my friends, we are pure family, and the institutions that are always on the lookout to provide help” He concluded, “this is thanks to all of them, it is an achievement of all, that we have achieved together”.
Cosme and his family are the protagonists of the documentary “The cry of the turtles”, which is currently being filmed, and the production work will continue during 2021 in Bahía de Kino. It is a production under the direction of Jaime Villa, from Jacalito Films, a company also from Sonora.
Victoria Arellano, producer of the film, explained that Cosme is the representation of the importance that someone can have in their community, starting with their family and how, with daily actions, great changes can be achieved.
“Cosme is, in the documentary, who guides his children and grandchildren in the work of conservation and of balancing their work with the protection of the environment,” he concluded.
Source: Proyecto Puente