Xochimilco Ecological Park and Plant Market
Xochimilco Ecological Park and Plant Market is a natural reserve or park, with a 13-hectare (32-acre) plant market, the largest in
Description of the park
The park extends over 215 hectares (0.83 sq mi) in the borough of Xochimilco, 23 km south of the
The park has agreements with the public schools and receives 150,000 school children each year.[4]
Much of the park's territory is dedicated to
In addition to the chinampas, restoration efforts expanded a lake to 54 hectares and created two smaller artificial ones of about a hectare each. Facing these waterways is the Cuemanco embarcadero (docks) from which
The park is divided into four areas: recreational, the Xochilta Garden, the bird sanctuary, and the botanical garden.
One of the park's functions is to provide shelter for wildlife. The most iconic species to Xochimilco is the
More successful has been the preservation of areas to host bird species, both those that live in the area year-round and those who migrate here in the winter.[3] Many are seen on the large lake, called Huetzalen.[14] The waters contain reeds, another plant called chacatules,[check spelling] often used in crafts, aquatic birds, insects and fish. The area is very quiet, especially compared to the urban area which nearly surrounds it.[12] Migratory birds can be seen in the area starting in October,[12] but the best time to see them is between December and April.[14] Registered birds include sparrows, grackles, storks, hummingbirds, eagles, herons, moorhens and egrets.[5] There are 15 species of ducks both native and migratory.[14]
Another migratory bird seen in the winter is the great egret, which grows to up to a meter in height. Some rare birds that have been seen here include the common kestrel, the osprey and certain types of owl. The most commonly observed migratory species is the American white pelican, which was not seen in the area before the lake and canals were restored.[14] However, this species has only been seen in numbers since the 2000s, with 500 reported as of 2009.[7][12] These birds migrate here from Canada and the northern US.[15] Another important species is the kingfisher, which was earlier thought to be extinct in the area, but has been seen again.[14]
One drawback of the park is its lack of mature shade trees, as they were planted when the park was founded in the 1990s.[5] The park's ecology remains in danger from pollution associated with urban sprawl. The water is contaminated by sewage and household garbage, damaging flora, driving away wildlife and risking the health of surrounding residents.[2]
The Cuemanco Plant Market
The Xochimilco Plant Market, also called the Cuemanco Market, sits on an extension of 13 hectares of park land near the main entrance on
The most important related products made and sold at the market are flowerpots and vases. As the growing of ornamental plants is a relatively new phenomenon for Xochimilco, so is the making of these wares. Many craftsmen taught themselves how to create them. Most are made from traditional ceramics, but some are made with other materials, including recycled ones. Most are made by the sellers themselves and painted in bright colors and/or decorated with pebbles, crystals and other items.[16]
In addition to the plant-vending areas, there is a cactus garden and areas with restaurants.
Although the installation of the market and other moneymaking operations have proven to be successful,[12] this plant market did have financial and operating difficulties in 2001. The financial difficulties were associated with losses in the funds destined for improvements and repairs. One reason for this was that many of the stalls had not yet been rented.[13] Another problem was ongoing disputes between plant sellers and the then manager of the market, which required intervention by borough authorities.[19] This market is the largest in Xochimilco but there are several others in the borough also dedicated to plants. These include Madreselva in the Bosque de Nativitas, Mercado Xochimilco, the Palacio de la Flor and the historic market of the San Luis Tlaxialtemalco community.[16][17]
History
Much of the area of the park has been chinampa land since the pre-Hispanic period. Xochimilco is one of few areas left in the Valley of Mexico that still has a significant number of chinampas. The area was declared a biological reserve by the Mexican government in 1984 and a World Heritage Site in 1987 by UNESCO.[2][12]
Until 1988, the park land had been privately owned. However, the area had been severely degraded with lakes and canals going dry and the salinity and pollution of the remaining water making farming nearly impossible. The pollution was primarily coming from the
The city and federal governments conceived and began to implement a plan to save Mexico City's remaining chinampas called the Xochimilco Ecological Rescue Plan (Plan de Rescate Ecológico de Xochimilco), the center of which was the establishment of the park.[8] The goal the project is to restore the chinampa ecosystem here to what it was during the Aztec Empire and then preserve it that way. The area was recharged with treated water to reinvigorate and create much of the surface water that is there today. Native vegetation was brought in by biologists and botanists. To restore soils, much of the sanitary debris from the 1985 earthquake and soils dug from the building of the Metro was brought in.[12]
After five years of work, the park was opened to the public in 1993.
Since then, the park has managed to survive and be self-sustaining.[12] However, serious environmental problems continue to plague that park and the rest of chinampa lands in Xochimilco. Pollution of the waters in the lakes and canals continue to be serious, as sewage and household garbage finds its way into the water.[2] However, the most pressing problem is invasions of chinampa land by illegal settlements. In 2004 and 2007, families who had been swindled into illegally buying lands in the park lost their homes as they were evicted.[21][22] Many people living illegally on the land have organized to put political pressure on authorities to let them remain, with mixed success.[22][23] The fact that there are still illegal settlements in the park, which is land designated as a World Heritage Site, has put the borough at odds with UNESCO. UNESCO wants all illegal settlements out in order to preserve the site's status, but borough officials claim this would not be feasible.[23][24]
19°16′59.21″N 99°5′46.81″W / 19.2831139°N 99.0963361°W
References
- ^ "PARQUE ECOLÓGICO XOCHIMILCO". Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco" [Xochimilco Ecological Park]. Red Escolar (in Spanish). Mexico: Instituto Latinoamericano de Comunicaciones Escolares. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-607-400-061-0.
- ^ a b c d e f Luz Romano. (June 4, 2001). "Cumple parque ocho anos" [Park has eighth anniversary]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 7.
- ^ ISBN 1-86450-087-5.
- ^ SEMARNAT. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Allan López Sosa (March 6, 2011). "Ajolote, "dios" azteca que se resiste a la muerte" [Axolotl, Aztec "god" that resists death]. El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b "El Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco" [Xochimilco Ecological Park] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Borough of Xochimilco. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Ricardo Olivares (May 21, 2010). "Parque ecológico Xochimilco" [Xochimilco Ecological Park]. La Prensa (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ "La Cihuacóatl, Leyenda de la Llorona 9ª temporada" [Cihuacoatl, Legen of La Llorona, Ninth Season] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Borough of Xochimilco. October 13, 2003. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ "Xochimilc PEX Ecological Park". Mexico City: Government of Mexico City. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Naturaleza restaurada en el Parque Ecológico Xochimilco" [Nature restored in the Xochimilco Ecological Park]. El Excelsior (in Spanish). Mexico City. October 17, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Alberto Gonzalez (July 9, 2001). "Aclararan el faltante en el mercado de flores" [Clarify the lacking funds at the flower market]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e Edgar Anaya. (March 6, 2005). "Observan aves en el DF" [Observing birds in the Federal District]. El Norte (in Spanish). Monterrey, Mexico. p. 11.
- ^ "'Acampan' pelícanos en Cuemanco" [Pelicans "camp" in Cuemanco]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. February 21, 2010. p. 1.
- ^ a b c d José Carlos Aviña. (January 18, 2010). "La riqueza de Xochimilco, en sus mercados de plantas, flores y artesanías" [The richness of Xochimilco, in its markets of plants, flowers and crafts]. Info Rural Agrarias, Ciencia y Tecnológia (in Spanish). Mexico City. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Mercado de Plantas Cuemanco" [Cuemanco Plant Market] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Borough of Xochimilco. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
- ^ Jesus Alberto Hernandez. (May 25, 2003). "Convierten mercado de flores en un bar" [Converting the flower market into a bar]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 1.
- ^ Anibal Santiago. (June 17, 2001). "Analizan remocion en Mercado de Cuemanco" [Analyzing removal at the Cuemanco Market]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 4.
- ^ Ivan Sosa. (January 19, 2001). "Consideran un fracaso el rescate ecologico" [Consider the ecological rescue a failure]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 1.
- ^ Luis Pérez (May 19, 2004). "Recuperan reserva ecológica en Xochimilco" [Ecological reserve in Xochimilco recovered]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). Mexico City. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Josué Huerta (October 19, 2007). "El lunes el delegado del PRD en Xochimilco afirmó que nada frenaría proyecto ecológico de Nancy Rodríguez; ayer se desmintió: "no conozco ese proyecto"" [Monday, PRD delegate in Xochimilco affirmed that nothing would stop the ecological project of Nancy Rodriguez; Yesterday he denied "I am not familiar with this project."]. La Crónica (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Sosa, Ivan (November 20, 2004). "Exige la UNESCO blindar Xochimilco" [UNESCO demands the protection of Xochimilco]. Reforma (in Spanish). Mexico City. p. 3.
- ^ Cevallos, Diego (November 30, 2004). "Archeology: Mexico's 'Venice' imperiled by pollution and erosion". Global Information Network. New York. p. 1.