In order to contribute to the promotion of a healthy environment for a healthy life, during the Covid-19 pandemic, several neighbors and friends formed in the Arboretum Group of Cholul have paid special attention to the care of the “First Arboretum of Mayan Fruit Trees”, created in its main square.
This care extends to the more than 70 maculís planted on the same group on the sides of 7th Avenue, the main entrance to the Cholul police station and its access gazebo, and to the more than 300 trees planted in conjunction with the Municipality during the 2018 Forest Crusade.
María José Tejero Olivera, a member of the group, explained that two years after its creation, the site has become a living museum and a local attraction.
The Cholul resident said that in recent years she has witnessed economic development around the park with the opening of restaurants, cafes, and ice cream parlors that offer recreational spaces overlooking this iconic square.
“To the joy of the inhabitants, these businesses have kept afloat during and despite the pandemic, always adhering to the precautions and health indications of the authorities”, she said.
María José Tejero pointed out that the Arboretum Group maintains the trees by placing guides, trimming them periodically and watering them manually in times of drought, even during the pandemic, with the support of the Merida’s Parks and Gardens department.
The intention is to make Avenue 7, the main entrance to Cholul, one more attraction since pink maculis trees prevail there.
“It is enough to imagine the spectacle of the cherry blossoms in Japan, or the jacarandas in Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City, to realize the spectacle that these maculis will offer in a few years during the spring,” said the young woman.
She warned that humanity is facing not only a pandemic of biblical proportions because of the coronavirus, but also an environmental crisis which, although not perceived by most as an emergency, will affect in a dimension difficult to think about.
“We must all take care of our environment and make sure we rescue non-renewable resources,” she said.
In her opinion, the 27 species that make up the First Maya Fruit Tree Arboretum in Cholul represent a community drive to rescue a Maya cultural legacy, as well as a vital resource of the country’s and the peninsula’s biodiversity with socio-economic potential for rural communities in tropical areas.
“Let us each do our part to ensure a future for the new generations and not contribute to the depredation of green areas,” he said.
The Arboretum of Cholul is located on one side of its main plaza overlooking Cale 22 and Calle 23, by the side entrance to the parish of San Pedro.
This living museum has become another attraction of Cholul, on a par with its 16th-century colonial church and the Zazil Ha cenote.
