By Verónica Meza and Antonieta Valenzuela

As a project conceived by Terra Peninsular A.C., two interpretive stations were built in 2015 with the support of the communities of La Chorera and Chapala, Taller Ciruela, Escala Arquitectura and donors. This project was part of the goals of the Temporary Employment Program (PET for its acronym in Spanish) of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).

The stations are called La Ola and Mirador Valle Volcánico. Both of them function as interactive and informative sites for visitors, and they are located in San Quintin Bay. The first one is found within the Punta Mazo Nature Reserve, and the second one, on the road that leads to La Chorera community, the entrance to the reserve.

With enthusiasm and pride to materialize an idea that conceptualizes the environmental conservation objective, Terra Peninsular sought the support of a creative team to turn this project into reality. Terra Peninsular participated from the conceptualization of the project to the construction and maintenance of both stations.

The Temporary Employment Program (PET) was carried out along with the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and started in June 2015 in San Quintín Bay.

The rehabilitation of signs and building of the interpretive stations were part of the objectives of PET, and the participation of the communities of La Chorera and Chapala was mainly included. By fully involving the communities, it was intended that the sense of responsibility and respect for the two stations was awakened by their inclusion in the project, for these constructions are now part of their surroundings.

After months of planning, designing, and building, the construction of the interpretive stations was accomplished. La Ola and Mirador Valle Volcánico are a different and interactive proposal whose purpose is to provide information about the natural features of each site, as well as the flora and fauna that can be found there. Visitors can scan the QR code at each station for more information.

Due to the fact that Terra Peninsular had previously installed informative signs in the area that were destroyed or worn out because of the climate, these interpretive stations were conceived as a project that did not cause any damage to the environment and involved the residents of San Quintín Bay. It’s important to mention that without information and scientific advisers, the construction of the interpretive stations would have never been made.

La Ola

• Location: Punta Mazo Nature Reserve, San Quintín Bay.
• Features: wooden construction with metal joints.

La Ola is located right at the end of Punta Mazo Nature Reserve. The station has a wooden structure with metal joints. When designing and building La Ola, the construction was conceived taking care of the environment so that it did not ruin the landscape nor damage its surroundings. This is why it’s elevated over the ground. The interior serves as a rest area for visitors and in some bars there is printed information.

Two sides to highlight two amazing environments: La Ola, seen from South to North highlights the terrestrial features of the Punta Mazo Nature Reserve, the main conservation objective and of scientific priority; and seen from North to South, the station highlights the marine qualities that make this place special for having amazing waves to surf.

Mirador Valle Volcánico 

• Location: left side of the road to reach La Chorera, in San Quintin Bay.
• Features: gabions baskets filled with volcanic stones and rest benches.

The Mirador Valle Volcánico station is located near the road before reaching La Chorera community which is the entrance to Punta Mazo Nature Reserve. From the station, located at the top, most extinct volcanoes in the San Quintín Bay can be seen. From its center there are imaginary lines that lead to the volcanoes and there you can find information about the environment. The station resembles a volcanic crater. Its construction was made out of volcanic stone gabions and it has seats for visitors to rest.

Both stations represent and materialize the features of the San Quintín region revealed by the scientific work of many researchers throughout the years. For its construction, articles and scientific data were considered, and the stations represent all the efforts for which Terra Peninsular has worked: protecting the habitats and landscapes of the peninsula of Baja California.