El Tepeyac National Park

El Tepeyac National Park is one of a number of federally recognized national parks in Mexico that are protected natural areas and administered by the federal National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), a subsidiary of SEMARNAT (Ministry of Environment). It is one of the few green areas located north of the Mexico City suburbs.(PILY) 95% of its territory is located in Gustavo A. Madero, D.F. Borough and 5% in the municipality of Tlalnepantla de Baz.

This is one of the large expanses of artificial forest of eucalyptus and was reforested in the first half of the 20th century in the Federal District. Such designation is attributed to the National Park on the Hill known as the Tepeyac Hill location. From this place one can contemplate one of the most beautiful views of the Mexico’s Valley although it has been threatened by the growth of the urban stain mainly on its slopes.

This park covers part of the mountain range of Sierra de Guadalupe and was created through a decree issued on February 18, 1937. Originally it had an extension of 1,500 ha. (PILY) even though several other authors indicate different current numbers depending on the type of topographic study applied. 56% of the park is legally of communal land property and the 44% left is of particular property.(DOCUMENTO)

By decree (1926, 1937, 1972), El Tepeyac is considered a protected National Park under forestation programs of Local and Federal administration. Thus, because once the territory had had a completely lack of vegetation and was restored after reforestation activities. (DECRETO) (DOCUMENTO).

Geography and nature

The park extends over 6 colonias of the Gustavo A. Madero borough with 33,263 hab. and other 87,604 hab from surrounding neighborhoods of the same borough. (DOCUMENTO)It comprises the eastern part of the mountain seems close to North Mexico Valley and is known as Sierra de Guadalupe. The Park comprises the slopes and low parts and the upper parts of the following elevations of the sierra: the Tepeyac Hill, Cerro de Guerrero and the Cerro de Santa Isabel. It is politically within the Guadalupe delegation in the Federal District, a minor extension is located within the Mexican municipality of Tlalnepantla.

The access to the Park is done from the Mexico City, known as the Insurgentes Avenue via route North of the city. The access through the old town of Santa Isabel Tola, which today is part of the urban area. Eastern Sierra de Guadalupe, which is where this park is located by low altitude, elevations remain at this point where the mountains ends. On average the three mentioned hills that form part of the site have 2,450 at 2,500 meters above sea level. Soils that compose these elevations are of volcanic origin, and have some stony areas. Geology is composed of igneous rocks hypabyssal, tuffs and basalts andesites. The floor of the Park is mainly constituted by regosoles eutric without diagnosis, formed from shallow alluvial not loose material horizon and stony, easily erosionable with low retention of moisture and fertile. Some areas of the Park are constituted by litosoles and faeozems haplic. (PILY)Does not have any nearby tributary. Above Lake Texcoco and Zumpango lined hills part. The Aqueduct of Guadalupe, which produced water to the nearby Villa Guadalupe and came with the vital fluid from Tlalnepantla village was built due to lack of liquid for human consumption. In general the climate zone is temperate semi-dry type with rains that occur during the summer. There are only temporary torrential runoff during rain and some over-pumping emanations in volcanic forming small wells rocks in the Park.

Flora and fauna

The predominant species is eucalyptus, which was planted to reforest this part of the sierra and other areas around the Mexico’s Valley , thereby creating large tracts of artificial forest. Although you can also observe some of the following species to a lesser extent: Cedar, oak, radiata pine, pine patula pirules. In some smaller areas there is presence of grasslands.

The fauna of the place is gone, there are just some kind of rodents and some species introduced by people close to the Park.

Cultural aspects

Since the pre-Hispanic period the reference zone is a ceremonial center of great importance to the Aztec culture in the worship of the goddess Tonatzin and since the Hispanic period in the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The etymology is Nahuatl, and Zacahuitzco Zacatenco means place of grass and thorns; Vicente Guerrero, also called Atzacualtépetl: on the Hill; door Gachupines, known as Quezahuatitlan: sterile tree. (PILY)

Cultural aspects

Early settlers pre-Hispanic the area settled on the slopes of the mountain range of Guadalupe sites today known as Ticoman, Tlatilco and Zacatenco, outside of these sites not found vestiges that indicate the presence of other people, due perhaps to the waters of the Lake reached the slopes of the hills of Tepeyac and Guerrero. A series of excavations in this region on the North of the Mexico City, found human remains in adjoining buildings inhabited; tombs finding also ceramic, clay, stone and obsidian tools figurines objects ornament; simple shapes and with clear Olmec influence. It is not known with precision when started this classic horizon, but it is estimated that it was at the beginning of the Christian era and ends in the ninth century. During this period, Mexico’s Valley is influenced by many cultures, among which are evident with greater significance: the Olmec the Teotihuacana, the Cholulteca, the Toltec, Chichimeca; latter being which predominated in the Serranía de Guadalupe. (PILY)

Among others, El Tepeyac lodges administrative offices, an open refuge, sanitary services, a small chapel on top of the Gachupines Hill, a concreted road of 1.3 km, a small pond, storeroom, benches and tables, an out of service greenhouse and a children playground.(DOCUMENTO)

Recreational activities

Most visitors like oing to the park in the mornings to run. Camping is also popular during weekends. There is also a kids playground as part of the facilities of the park as well as soccer courts so visitants can enjoy a soccer match. Picnics are also a common activity that the local population tend to perform inside the park.

Problematics

The park has several problems with visitors’ peace disturbance. There is vandalism and aggressive attackers under the influence of drugs that beat visitors. In consequence, only 70 people attend the park on Sundays. The park has often the presence of young individuals that commit criminal activities due to the lack of surveillance in the park. There is also a high level of contamination due to waste accumulation and forest fires. The large numbers of fires that have arisen due to the recklessness of the inhabitants from the nearby colonies had made it a giant dump (The Herald, 1979). National Park Tepeyac, has served in recent years as a dump of gravel underground works. Now there is a government authorization to deposit 60,000 cubic meters of trash in the park. Theoretically the park should have 1.500 hectares, but in reality there are only 650. In the 850 hectares left, there are about six thousand illegally sold houses. The director of the Mexican Institute of Renewable Natural Resources Enrique Beltran stated that the waste deposited in Parque del Tepeyac constitute a source of infection for inhabitants of the area thanks to precipitations that causes black waters that cause the dissemination of contamination all around the neighbor colonies. There are other sources of pollution like solid waste (garbage) in different areas of the park. The green area suffer from removal and destruction of natural resources such as the collection of snails, insects, bird hunting, quarrying, fodder, roots and damage to vegetation is common. Other common problems the park faces are: uncontrolled access of visitors, lack of appropriate signing, both externally and within the park area. Insufficient and poor condition facilities to provide service to public. Uncontrolled destruction of vegetation due to excessive logging and lack of flora and fauna care.

Benefits

This Park serves as a natural avoider of erosion and also helps Mexico City with oxygen and weather stability.

See also

• List of national parks of Mexico

External links

• CONANP Parques Nacionales