My Nonprofit Reviews

The Northern Jaguar Reserve, just 150 miles south of the Arizona border in Sonora, Mexico, is home to the northernmost breeding population of jaguars in the world, as well as puma, ocelots, and bobcats, ringtails, coatis and a fascinating mélange of plant communities: palm trees, organ pipe cacti, oak trees etc. This is a bi-national effort- the Project is based in Tucson, has a super experienced director and primarily Mexican staff of biologists and vaqueros on the Reserve. Many are english speaking, and all are top notch scientists.

Some non-profits benefit the environment. Some focus on helping communities in need, or on helping children or endangered wildlife. But the Northern Jaguar Project encompasses all those goals. Through this project the NJP has:

- created an important wildlife reserve, focused on providing protection and habitat to allow the jaguars and other cats to expand their populations.
- collaborated with local ranchers in an important program called Viviendo con Felinos- Living with Cats, where they agree to not kill the cats but instead are paid for photos of any of the cats on their ranches. This benefits the cats, of course, but also important is the support the ranchers receive- another revenue stream so they can more easily stay on their land as climate change and drought are making their historic way of life in cattle ranching more difficult and less profitable
- has educated the children and the entire community of Sahuaripa as to the importance of their local wildlife and how by supporting the wildlife they also support the livelihoods of the local people
- has instituted an annual Festival of the Jaguar, with a photo contest of the cats for the ranchers, a bicycle parade for the children and later face painting, games and prizes for kids, and provides a venue for local child and adult artists to show their paintings of jaguars
- has the engendered community spirit and pride in their gorgeous wildlands and wildlife as well as education about conservation; a local art school has resulted and many murals of jaguars decorate the walls of city buildings

I felt truly honored to visit Sahuaripa, the Jaguar Reserve, enjoy the Festival and meet some of the ranchers and many other wonderful local people. This is a non-profit organization that truly delivers to both the local community and to the wild cats. I am proud to say I support it.