SchoolsEstela RomeroDecember 11, 2020

"Rancho Escondido" village

SchoolsEstela RomeroDecember 11, 2020

THE VISIT

We have now only jumped closer to “El Rosario” Sanctuary to one of its next immediate surrounding villages: “Rancho Escondido” village. Several moms attended this season’s lesson: “The benefits of trees” to our local ecosystems. Among the central reflections on the names and characteristics of our trees in the forests and our fruit trees down in our towns and villages, moms and children were right to describe mushrooms and medicinal plants among the many benefits all over the Monarch Butterflies Natural Reserve. “We know that in our Oyamel and else coníferas forests over 300 (three hundred) species of eatable and non-eatable mushrooms grow over the raining season for us, that is from May through October”, --Estela referred--. “Yes!, Tecomates, Tejamanileros, Clavitos, Orejas, Elotes, Azules, Gachupines… all of these we can go and pick up to the forest and eat all over the summer!, --children shouted here and there in the group. “And we also can go and collect medicinal herbs”, --Estela added--. “All over the year!. We can get Arnica, and Tepozán tree leaves for really bad hurts and bruises, Cuachalalate and Boldo compuesto and others for liver problems, Cola de Caballo, Pirul and else combination for kidney problems, we can disappear a teeth pain, a stomach problem, blood pressure situations, we have a fantastic plant for anemia problems, Tecomate preparations for cleaning our lungs… oh, we will only come to the doctor in case of real emergency situations”, --the voices of several mothers participated at a time in this topic--. “Well, the existence of both mushrooms and medicinal herbs, to specially mention these two benefits today, would not be possible without the existence of trees and vice versa. Canopy in general, mushrooms and trees somehow play a symbiotic role to each other” –Estela added asking children to read in turns the benefits of trees written behind each of the tree slides’ list of “benefits of trees” list: “Water filtration and storage, erosion prevention, soil health, humidity storage, nutrients content and retention, the equilibrium of the four seasons of the year…”—children read in turns--. “It has taken hundreds of thousands of years to millions of years that our mountains and forests would get such richness in vegetation; it is so easy to go and collect any of these many benefits… grabbing any of these plants of mushrooms from the very roots will be a plant or mushroom disappearing and not growing any more there. The whole web of life in that ecosystem will be badly affected”, --Estela closed--. Having our local families and students to understand the “Web of Life” connection in our local ecosystems is determining. So many people just take our natural resources for granted and renewable… Such reflections arose really positive responses of awareness and responsibility in the audience today. Happy faces of children and a happy and responsible moms’ school-committee received their Ambassador Butterflies the former and the book-donation to their school’s library the latter, waving good bye and clapping hands to the Symbolic migration asking for a following visit the coming season!. “The visit of the program brings our community together, make us feel like a big family fighting for our own land and our own future here all together”, --one of the oldest moms expressed--.