1. Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda I.A.P
Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda I.A.P (GESG) was
founded in 1987 by a small group of local residents
in response to the alarming levels of destruction
and deforestation occurring throughout the
region. Investing in environmental education and
community outreach projects, one by one the 600+
communities of the Sierra Gorda joined with GESG
in what became the country’s largest conservation
movement.
By 1997, one third of the State of Queretaro had
been decreed as a federally protected area, creating
Mexico’s most eco-diverse Biosphere, and the
world’s first to be established as a direct result of
grassroots efforts.
Today, the GESG leads an alliance in support
of environmental education and restoration,
sustainable economic development and tourism
that benefits local landowners.
About us Our history
We are Mexico’s only non-governmental alliance of
local grass-roots organizations, working together to
restore, preserve, and conserve the stunning bio-
diversity of the Sierra Gorda.
We have pioneered a collaborative approach to
conservationand sustainable development that
generates a 17 to 1 return on social investment. This
“living” model of conservation sees 35,000 trained
community members carry out thousands of small
actions in restoration, recycling and sustainable
development each day.
With our models of carbon capture, eco-tourism, and
preservation inspiring change at both the national
and international level, we are now a global force for
conservation and sustainability.
Our mission is to mobilize communities
to protect and preserve Mexico’s most
eco- andbio-diverse natural protected area.

2. Our People
Martha Isabel “Pati” Ruiz Corzo
With 30 years experience in innovative conservation
and community engagement, Pati is one of Latin
America’s most respected environmental leaders.
Born in Mexico City, she worked as a professional
violinist and music teacher in Queretaro City before
trading her middle-class lifestyle for Roberto’s
old family homestead high in the Sierra Gorda
mountains.
Seeing the environmental destruction being wrought,
she began working to unite the communities of the
region to preserve the Sierra Gorda. Once the
Biosphere Reserve was decreed, Pati was appointed
as the Federal Director, a role she held from 1997-
2009, before returning to GESG.
Today, Pati continues to lead the GESG, and advocate
the positive forces of ecotourism, environmental
awareness, recycling, and sustainable growth
to combat the challenges posed by extreme
poverty and climate change. Her efforts and the
achievements of the local alliance have been
recognised internationally, with Pati receiving
the 2013 UNEP Champions of the Earth award for
“Inspiration and Action”, and the National Geographic
Society/Buffett Award for Leader-ship in Latin American
Conservation, amongst other accolades. She is
also a Social Entrepreneur of Ashoka, the Schwab
Foundation and Associate Laureate of the Rolex Prize
for Enterprise. Pati participates on boards including
the Board of Forest Trends, Conservation International
Mexico, and is a regular speaker at international forums
on corporate responsibility.
Roberto Pedraza Ruiz
An environmentalist and nature photographer, Roberto
has dedicated his work to the Sierra Gorda Biosphere
Reserve. His photographs have won prizes in Mexico,
Japan and Spain, and been published in books including
Nature in Sight (2012) and The World´s Rarest Birds
(2013), as well as in the National Geographic Español,
México Desconocido and Biodiversitas.
Roberto’s images have become a valuable tool to docu-
ment the diversity of species in the region and strengthen
the importance of protecting the Reserve. In 2013 his
work was awarded the Ecological Merit Medal by the
LVII Legislature of Queretaro State. Roberto currently
manages GESG’s Lands for Conservation program, an
initiative creating private natural reserves to protect
areas of significant biological value in the Reserve, and
is the official speaker of The Climate Project.
Photo: Ewan Burns/Audubon

3. The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve
Featuring an exceptional variety of species and
ecosystems, the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve
(SGBR) is roughly the size of Mallorca, Spain,
covering 384,567 hectares, or the northern 32% of
the state of Queretaro. It is named for the bioregion
which extends to Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí and
Hidalgo States.
In terms of ecosystem diversity, the SGBR occupies
first place in mega-diverse Mexico among natural
protected areas, being home to 10 of Mexico’s 11
ecosystems. These ecosystems are found at
altitudes between 350 to 3,100 meters above sea
level, with rugged mountains, canyons, lush valleys
and vertical caves carved out from the limestone of
the Huasteca Karst. Vegetation types range from
arid scrub to temperate and mountain cloud forests,
riparian forests and three variants of tropical forests.
The Reserve shelters numerous species of flora and
fauna at risk of extinction, including the Magnolia
dealbat and Yucca queretaroensis plants, and
among fauna, the jaguar, the bearded wood partridge.
It also serves as a refuge for migratory species of
birds and butterflies. With its extraordinary biotic
values, the SGBR is part of the UNESCO World Network
of Biosphere Reserves of the Man and Biosphere
Program (MaB) and is recognized as being a globally
important habitat for the conservation of bird
populations (IBA).
The SGBR has more than 500 archaeological sites,
including five 18th-century Franciscan missions which
have been designated as UNESCO World Cultural
Heritage sites.
The Biosphere Reserve is also home to around 640
communities and 100,000 inhabitants, who own 97%
of the land, and therefore play a critical role in its
preservation and protection.
More than 130 species of mammals,
including the jaguarundi (pictured below)
have so far been found in the Sierra Gorda
Biosphere Reserve.
The Reserve also boasts an extraordinary
2,308 plant species, many of which are yet
to be found anywhere else on earth.

4. We believe that adapting to climate change and
fighting poverty must go hand in hand. Our
experience has shown that sustainable conservation
of the SGBR’s ecosystems can only be achieved
by generating economic opportunities for local
landowners. As such, we invest in innovative
programs that perform across the triple bottom
line – people, planet and profit. These are just a few
examples of the new conservation economy in action.
Eco-Tourism
Until recently, many families in the Sierra Gorda had
few options to earn an income beyond destructive
illegal logging, unsustainable farming and hunting
practices, or poorly-paid and often dangerous labor
migration.
With the introduction of community-based eco-
tourism, these communities now have the chance to
keep their rich culture and traditions intact, while
building their employment opportunities and business
skills. For instance, we are supporting a network
of “small-footprint” microenterprises that produce
and sell local ceramic, embroidery and organic food
products.
These small businesses now have access to a
growing tourism market, providing them with a local
and sustainable employment option.
Importantly, eco-tourism is also giving national and
international visitors access to one of the most bio-
diverse regions on Earth, building understanding and
support for innovative conservation practices.
Through our partnership with the Global Sustainable
Tourism Council as the chosen Early Adopter of the
Sustainable Destination Standards of the World
Tourism Organization, we aim to grow and provide a
sustainable model for other key regions to adopt.v
“Eco-tourism is helping to deliver viable
alternative livelihoods to some of Mexico’s
poorest communities, with many – women
in particular– now being able to generate
an income. It’s also introducing a new
audience to one of Mexico’s most important
environmental regions, in a sustainable,
responsible way.”
Pati Ruiz Corzo
Our Work

5. Climate Change Adaptation
To conserve the biocapacity of the State, we are
working directly with local landowners to pioneer new
conservation financing programs. These activities are
helping to restore and regenerate old forests which
are often degraded by cattle grazing, and further
endangered by manmade forest fires in what is an
area of extreme rural poverty.
For instance, our Biodiversity Carbon program sees
government and corporate partners directly
supporting traditional owners of the forest to
receive fair compensation for their conservation
and regeneration efforts. This includes working with
businesses to reduce their carbon debt through
offseting their activities and corporate events, and
faciliating ways for tourists to offset their travel. As a
result, more than 14,000 thousand hectares of prime
forest have so far been offset.
The program sets a precedent in the country for
State-based climate mitigation mechanisms that can
successfully adapt international protocols to a local
context. It is also the first forest carbon project
to achieve validation by the Rainforest Alliance under
the voluntary market standards of VCS and the Gold
Standard of CCB.
The GESG is also one of the first official hubs for the
Savory Institute for holistic management throughout
Mexico. Through this channel, we are able to teach the
principles for sustainable land management practices
across the country. These include the adoption of
sustainable farming practices that help restore soil
fertility and turn atmospheric carbon into water-
holding, fertility-enhancing soil organic matter. So far,
13 ranches in the Reserve have adopted livestock and
agricultural regenerative practices to increase land
productivity.
Through these programs and partnerships, GESG has
the opportunity to influence public policy at a state
and federal level, helping to ensure the incorporation of
effective conservation practices in climate mitigation
protocols. We will continue to work to share and
replicate the successful forest and soils compensation
programs, along with the techniques and training
pioneered within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve,
across the country.
Our Work
Biodiversity Carbon Offsets provide
Sierra Gorda landowners with fair
compensation for their conservation
work, while also helping to fight
climate change. Over the next
few years, we hope to expand the
program to protect 25,000 hectares
of prime forest.

6. IN THE PRESS
Grupo Ecológico’s work in the Sierra Gorda has been
featured in media across the globe. Below is a
selection of some of our favorite pieces.
Earth from Above (Yann Arthus-Bertand)
Mexico’s Sierra Gorda
http://youtu.be/AICq3Nis74A
http://mag.audubon.org/articles/travel/meet-me-oasis
theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/05/conservation-
poverty-sierra-gorda
http://tedxnairobi.com/2014/01/09/a-champion-in-the-
hills-martha-isabel-ruiz-corzo-at-tedxnairobi/
Audubon Magazine
Meet me at the Oasis
Guardian Environment Network
Conservation can be a weapon against poverty
PBS Frontline World
Mexico:
The Business of Saving Trees
pbs.org/frontlineworld/watch/player.html?pkg=flwrc68_
mex&seg=1&mod=0
Biosphere Reserve in Mexico Earns Validation from Two
Global Carbon Market Standards
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/newsroom/press-releases/
sierra-gorda-global-carbon-markets Planeta CNN
Pati Ruiz Corzo, la profesora que dejó la ciudad para
recuperar montañas
http://mexico.cnn.com/planetacnn/2013/09/23/pati-ruiz-cor-
zo-la-profesora-que-dejo-la-ciudad-para-recuperar-montanas
A champion in the hills:
Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo at TEDxNairobi

7. Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda Alliance
CONTACTS:
Laura Pérez-Arce
Email: laura@sierragorda.net
Phone: (+52) 442 212 4777
Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda
C. Septien Garcia 46,
Colonia Cimatario, CP 76030
Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
Email: info@sierragorda.net
Photography: Roberto Pedraza Ruiz
(unless otherwise credited)
2013 UNEP Champions
of the Earth award for
“Inspiration and Action”
2012 National Geographic
Society/Buffett Award for
Leadership in Latin
American Conservation
2002 Associate Laureate,
Environment, Mexico
2012-13 Forest
Heroes Award -
Honorable Mention
Selected Awards and Donors
TO DO! 2013
International
Contest for Socially
Responsible Tourism