Name: Enrique Hugo García Valencia

Affiliation: Researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH)

Contact details: hugogv44@hotmail.com Cel. Phone +1 555 074 5736

Statement of interest: On the ocassion of the publication of decree to protect the woods and forests of the Xalapa, Veracruz, México region issued on the 5th January 20015 a group of interested people formed an association named Custodians of the woods and forests of the Capital Region Xalapa. This region is conceived as an archipielague me being a memeber of the Island Luz del Barrio Coapexpan, where we have identified four main issues, first the invasion of the area with urban developments, The contamination of the local river, The production of rubbish, and finally liaise with the owners of big extensions of land within the area. We, recently, produced a water and woods festival in the local Secondary School and we have been invited to hold another one in a different school. At the momento we are working together with the authorities in order to produce a management programme of the area, and with the local MP on the design of a water system cleaning of the area.

Geographical/topical area of interest: Mexico, Xalapa-Capital which includes the municipalities of Xalapa, Tlalnehuayocan, Banderilla, Coatepec and Emiliano Zapata, in the State of Veracruz on the Gulf Coast of Mexico.