Adi + Mel’s Half Marathon

We're hoping to go to Mexico for in the summer of 2014 to work on a conservation project with the charity Operation Wallacea.We will be working in local forest and marine areas to collect primary data on species.

For this we need £3000 each and will be running a half marathon in March around Oxford to raise funds!

The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve is one of the last areas of pristine Mexican forest that remains and is the home of incredible wildlife such as the jaguar and spider monkey. It is hoped the area can be protected as part of a large forest 'corridoor' which would be crucial for animals such as the jaguar which require large areas in which to roam. We are needed to quantify the carbon storage value and to quantify the biodiversity of the area for funding under the UN's REDD+ scheme so it can be saved. Additionally the biodiversity information that is collected on the large mammals in particular can be used to provide local people with hunting quotas and help the species in decline.

We will then spend time in coastal Akumal, a very important nesting site for turtles. There are plans here to build 25,000 homes but water treatment has not been considered. A local NGO can help in this respect but they need primary data on the reefs (corals, reef fish and turtles) to support their case. The data is also useful to protect the area from future development.

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