From Herring River to Lake Patzcuaro

"We know you have one of the most successful projects in the United States, environmental projects, and we are here to learn how you organizated a lot of people to work on the restoration plan ...' "

— Valeria Aguilar

Business Student, Universidad Michoacana

Who are the Patz-4?

In a model of international exchange and cooperation, four students from Mexico immersed themselves in the Cape Cod National Seashore's Herring River restoration project. The students say learning from the successful effort here helps them take a leadership role in building support to restore Lake Patzcuaro, a large volcanic basin lake in the central Mexican city of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Local hosts referred to the four young women as the "Patz-4."

What is the Herring River restoration project?

The Herring Restoration project is a multi-decade project that build collaboration between community, environmental, and government groups to develop and execute a process to restore the Herring River ecosystem in Wellfleet and Truro, MA.

Who has worked on the restoration project?

Friends of the Herring River, the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Town of Wellfleet, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are a few of the collaborators on the project. These broad, deep, and long-term relationships created the the platform to tackle a decades-long project with multiple science and political complexities.

What does the Herring River have to do with Mexico's Lake Patzcuaro?

According to the team of student-leaders from Patzcuaro, the large volcanic basin lake in central Mexico has been used and loved nearly to death. Pollution, waste, deforestation, and other factors have damaged the ecosytem which spreads across multiple towns.  The Herring River project is seen as a significant success, in part because it managed to build collaborations to augment the science behind the effort. The students hope to take lessons from this process home with them and use them as they work to build collaborations leading to restoration of the Lake Patzcuaro ecosystem.

What happens next?

The students will be returning to Patzcuaro, meeting with the mayor and other community members, and pressing for an ecosystem restoration plan. They will also be working with children through a regional education program that draws on arts, culture, and environment, to develop the next generation of leaders and stewards of the region.

See more coverage of Cape Cod National Seashore in this collection.