× PUBLIC MEDIA GIVING DAYS: This May 1-2, give back to public media with a donation to help support this vital resource. Your gift will be matched up to $20,000!
  1. Radio
  2. Environment Mexico

More Environment Mexico Stories

The Rio Sonora flows through the town of Baviácora, Sonora, July 30, 2019.

Communities affected by mining spill win case in Mexico's Supreme Court

The decision granted protection to Sonora River Valley residents seeking remediation following a 2014 Grupo México toxic mine spill.
A mural of a vaquita mother and calf near the boardwalk in San Felipe, Baja California.

Conservationists: Mexican government failing to protect vaquita

They say Mexico has not been able to curb illegal fishing in the Sea of Cortez that threatens the nearly extinct porpoise.
A view of the Rio Sonora valley from a hillside in Baviácora, Sonora, on July 30, 2019.

Report: Tailings dam poses threat to Rio Sonora valley 5 years after major spill

The report's author says Grupo México's new tailings pond threatens the health and livelihood of people already impacted by a 2014 spill.
More than 80 small fishing boats illegally cast nets into the Sea of Cortez in an area inhabited by the vaquita marina porpoise on Dec. 8, 2019.

Poachers swarm vaquita refuge ‘like never before’

A conservationist said the number of poachers in the endangered porpoise's habitat — casting nets for a fish called the totoaba — is unprecedented.
The newly described Rio Concepcion topminnow is found in the Rio Concepcion in northern Mexico. The minnow is related to the Gila topminnow.

Scientists recognize new fish in northern Mexico

The Rio Concepcion topminnow is related to the Gila topminnow.
A large fishing boat in the Sea of Cortez.

Study finds plastic in stomachs of 20% of Mexican fish

Microplastics are created when plastic breaks down in ocean water.
Fishing boats float on the Sea of Cortez outside the little town of San Felipe, Baja California, in October 2018.

Without government aid, fishermen in Mexico return to endangered porpoise habitat

Fishermen in the Sea of Cortez say they haven't received compensation like in previous years, so they're returning to the vaquita marina's waters for shrimp season.
Mexican authorities meet with people affected by the 2014 mining spill in the Rio Sonora in the town of Bacanuchi, Sonora on Sept. 6, 2019.

Mexican authorities meet with Rio Sonora mining spill victims

A legal representative of residents affected by the spill said the dialogue is a result of pressure the communities have put on authorities.
Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples at Station no. 1 during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site. This picture, looking eastward, was taken by Astronaut John W. Young, commander. Duke is standing at the rim of Plum crater, which is 40 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. The parked Lunar Roving Vehicle can be seen in the left background.

Geoff Notkin on the past - and future - of space exploration.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Mexican rock stars sing out about immigration; and a party to celebrate the "The Queen of the Night" at Tohono Chul.
The Port of Guaymas, Mexico.

Sulfuric acid leak in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez a ‘wake-up call’

A researcher says the impact was minimal, but that it shows the need to consider the potential for a spill on a much larger scale.
Fishing boats float on the Sea of Cortez outside the little town of San Felipe, Baja California, in October 2018.

UNESCO designates vaquita porpoise habitat as ‘in danger’

There are estimated to be only 10 remaining vaquita porpoises in the Sea of Cortez.
Archie is a big brown bat, and has been taken care of by Bob & Debbie Beucher since being rescued more than sixteen years ago.

Bat night at the Mission Garden

Also: A new facility in Nogales, Sonora to help migrants following the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy; and strangers find common ground with "One Small Step".
NASA Worldview snapshot over Mexico on May 12, 2019, red dots indicating active fires.

Heat Waves, Fires Affect Mexico City’s Air Quality

The air quality in cities like the capital are getting worse due to fires in the southern part of the country.
Bordered by irrigation canals, restoration site Chausse is meant to replicate a bend in the Colorado River, with marshy areas and native vegetation.

In Colorado River’s Final Hundred Miles, Small Signs of Life Return

In recent years, the U.S. and Mexico have begun committing resources to restore portions of the final hundred miles of the dried-out delta.
Sunset at the Ciénega de Santa Clara in northern Mexico. The wetland is fed by salty runoff from American farms near Yuma, Arizona.

As the Colorado River Basin Dries, Can an Accidental Oasis Survive?

As the fate of the Colorado River's delta is in the hands of many groups, inadvertent wetland Ciénega de Santa Clara has an uncertain future.
Outfitter Jim Schaafsma hands a rifle to hunter Brandon Barnwell.

In Sonora, Hunting Means Big Business and Conservation

State officials are estimating up to $30 million in economic impact this season.

Selected Archive Filters

Environment, Mexico
Back to Top
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona