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LINKS Botanic Garden Conservation International
Wild & Wonderful: |
Open daily from sunrise to sunset Conservatory of Mexican Plants 9 am to 5 pm Annual membership 600 pesos Guided visits 2-1/2 hour tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10a.m. Members 50 pesos, non-members 80 pesos. Private tours available by appointment.
In the heart of the central highlands of Mexico, in the state of Guanajuato, El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden extends over some 167 acres of nature reserve just a few minutes from the historical city of San Miguel de Allende, declared a World Heritage site in 2008. El Charco del Ingenio is an extraordinary natural monument in a unique scenic area of great biodiversity. The name comes from a spring-fed pool nestled in an impressive canyon, which popular legend has interwoven with spirits and myths dating from the Spanish conquest. Above, the Las Colonias reservoir receives water flowing down from the nearby mountains, which forms permanent wetlands where birds and other wildlife abound. During the rainy season, water overflows the dam, cascading into pools in the wooded depths of the ravine. Among the boulders of the canyon and in the reservoir and surrounding dry scrubland lie vestiges of waterworks and constructions from the past that also give the place special value as a historic site.
This is the scene of the Botanical Garden, which is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of this unique area, especially its biodiversity, which is rich because of the site's unusual topography. Many different species of native plants and animals find their niches in the three distinct zones: the canyon, the wetlands and the dry scrubland. In addition to the work of conservation in the nature reserve, El Charco hosts an extensive botanical collection made up of cacti and other succulent Mexican plants, many of which are rare, threatened or in danger of extinction. Specimens of this collection – one of the most complete in the country - are found mainly in the Conservatory of Mexican Plants, a greenhouse pavilion especially designed for their display, as well as in the Zone of Rescued Plants, in the western part of the Botanical Garden.
A network of paths lead to various scenic overlooks and points of interest in the reserve. Adjacent to the Botanical Garden, Landeta Park provides a spacious recreational area with vehicle access and facilities for picnics. Visitors from many different places have come to the Botanical Garden since its creation. Trained employees, supported by volunteers, staff the Visitor Center and El Charco giftshop which sells organic and handcrafted products, books and plants from the Botanical Garden's nursery, while the juice bar offers a variety of drinks and snacks. As a community resource, the Botanical Garden increasingly focuses its efforts on environmental education and the development of traditional culture. A wide range of activities, including meetings, workshops, lectures, concerts and ceremonies, take place throughout the year, reflecting the multicultural character of San Miguel de Allende.
This wide-ranging project is the result of a citizens' initiative, begun in 1990, committed to the recovery and protection of this area open to all. An independent Mexican nonprofit organization, El Charco del Ingenio AC, manages the reserve and its facilities. It is an official member of the Mexican Association of Botanical Gardens, Botanic Garden Conservation International and it is registered with the Mexican Environmental Agency as a Conservation Management Unit. In 2005, El Charco del Ingenio was declared by the City Council of San Miguel de Allende an Ecological Preservation Zone, regulated by a Management Plan and creating a buffer zone around the nature reserve where urban development is subject to special restrictions. The purpose of this declaration is to protect and preserve this unique place as the natural and historical heritage of San Miguel de Allende, for generations to come.
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Ed. Santillana
By car.
