Santuario Ajolote calls for volunteers for habitat restoration project

Amidst controversy surrounding the "ajolotization" of Mexico City and ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the organization Santuario Ajolote is calling for volunteers to join a habitat restoration project for the critically endangered axolotl. The initiative, titled "Voluntariado por el Ajolote: Acción ciudadana por la restauración del humedal" (Volunteer for the Axolotl: Citizen action for wetland restoration), seeks to address the decades of neglect and degradation of the axolotl's natural habitat.

The volunteer event is scheduled for Sunday, June 28, starting at 8:30 AM at the Mercado de San Gregorio Atlapulco in the Xochimilco borough of Mexico City. Community work is planned from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Participants will engage in the construction of an 80-meter biofilter designed to help purify up to 300,000 cubic meters of water annually, alongside ecological restoration of canals and environmental work on the traditional chinampas.

The axolotl, native to Mexico City's ancient lake system, is listed as critically endangered under Mexico's Official Standard NOM-059. Rapid urban growth is identified as the primary threat to its survival. Projects like Chinampa Refugio are already promoting biological processes to improve water quality in Xochimilco's chinampas, creating a more suitable environment for the amphibian.

This free and open-to-the-public activity welcomes adults to participate in direct conservation efforts. Santuario Ajolote, a civil organization, is dedicated to protecting the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) and preserving its habitat through restoration, environmental education, and research. The event aims to foster citizen engagement in safeguarding the species and its vital wetland ecosystem.