Their goal is to provide options to the tradtional ways of commercial and industrial development of the Yucatan. They work with the Mexican government, the private sector, and individuals who live in the biosphere. They highlight the conservation efforts in the biosphere to encourage communities to collaborate on low-impact development projects. Amigos de SK also oversee activity in the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve.
Management encourages long-term sustainable use of resources with preservation for the furture.
I visited two biosphere reserves in the Yucatan-Sian Kaan and Calakmul. For information on Calakmul see the Pronatura page. When the Mexican government developed Cancun in the 1960's a predevelopment study of flora and fauna was proposed, but never pursued. At that time, Barbara Mackinnon, the founder of Amigos, began a study of bird life on Cancun. Today Amigos supports bird studies throughout the Sian Kaan biosphere in an effort to document species number, migration patterns, and nesting habitats.