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Mercedes Otegui Acha
Practitioner Fellow at International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:
Mexico City, Mexico
Project Title: Inventorying Sacred Natural Sites in Mexico
Publications and Presentations: Developing and Testing a Methodology and Tools for the Inventorying of Sacred Natural Sites of Indigenous and Traditional Peoples in Mexico
Project Description
Sacred natural sites, typically established and protected by indigenous peoples and local communities, often are rich in biodiversity and culture. In many countries, however, little is known about these sites, and building a site registry is not a simple task.
Under her Alcoa Foundation fellowship, Mercedes Otegui Acha is working to develop, test, and disseminate a methodology and a set of tools for inventorying sacred natural sites at the national level. She will then use both to initiate a preliminary national database of such sites in Mexico.
"Mexico is a very appropriate country to serve as a test case due to its cultural and biological richness and the sacred sites it contains, some of which have already been documented," said Ms. Otegui Acha. "In addition, the country has experience in protected areas, other conservation strategies, and the study of indigenous cultures."
Information contained in such a registry could include the following:- Number of sacred natural sites;
- Site distribution;
- Owner/manager communities;
- Natural, cultural and spiritual characteristics;
- State of conservation;
- Management approaches;
- Legal status; and
- Most pressing threats.
"This fellowship will help me disperse this research's major findings to government, academia, and conservation sectors, which could then replicate this model at the international, national, and regional levels," said Ms. Otegui Acha.
Biographical Information
Mercedes Otegui Acha is currently special advisor to the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Foundation on the protection and conservation of sacred natural sites of indigenous and traditional peoples in Mexico. Prior to her current position, she was the communication director for the World Wildlife Fund's Mexico program office and also developed the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program while at WWF US.
She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Lawrence University and a master's degree in environmental management from Duke University.
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