Program dates
July 24-27, 2003

Mexico has one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world, with worrisome results. Erosion steals fertile soil, rivers and streams dry up and wildlife and forest productivity decline. ICFJ held one workshop on forestry in Mexico in the temperate pine forests of Michoacán in 2002. A second workshop was held in July of 2003 in the tropical forests of Quitana Roo.

The programs helped Mexican reporters and editors learn more about forest management and conservation, causes of deforestation, successful forestry businesses and programs and options for conserving forests or making them more productive. Participants also received guidance on where to get reliable information and how to work safely in areas plagued by violence. The workshops featured leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations and journalism. The programs included field trips to managed forests and sites where participants could witness erosion.

The program was sponsored by the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, a San Francisco-based foundation dedicated in part to environmental conservation in developing countries.