At the heart of the Móncora Bioparque, in Barichara, you will find don Jesús Barragán, a man whose life is deeply entwined with the land and the nature that watched him grow up. His story is an inspiring testament to how love, patience and commitment can turn an arid landscape into a paradise of biodiversity. Through his dedication, don Jesús teaches us that nature flourishes when we care for it with respect and constancy, and that every one of us can be part of this movement of conservation and regeneration.
Jesús Barragán, guardian of the Bioparque
Don Jesús was raised in the very place he now protects and tends. As a boy he ran free through these mountains, playing “Deer and Hunters”, and now, years later, he has found his true calling in this same ground. “I’m going to die here, if that’s all right with everyone,” he says, with a smile that says everything about his love for the place.
Since 2018 he has spent most of his days planting, tending and maintaining the bioparque, clearing the paths and working the soil with the knowledge handed down by his grandfather, a man who taught him that nature, too, needs help to thrive. Don Jesús does not only look after the plants; he looks after the history and the soul of a piece of land that was once poor and dry, and that is turning today into a vibrant forest thanks to his effort and the community’s.
Why caring for nature matters
For don Jesús, the relationship with nature is an act of affection and responsibility. He learned that trees need hands to clear around them, and that soil needs patience and fertility before it will flourish. “Nature needs help too,” he says, explaining how he prepares natural fertilisers from shredded leaves, chicken manure and food scraps, a composting system that feeds the soil and invites life back in.
His own experience reflects a deeper lesson. As a child he planted crops like tobacco, cassava and maize, without understanding what trees really meant to the ecosystem. Today, with more than 9,000 trees planted at the Bioparque, some 5,000 of them by his own hand, he watches an arid patch of ground become a growing forest that, in fifteen years, he hopes will be a genuine green lung for the region.
Water must never be wasted
In an area where rain is scarce and the streams have disappeared, don Jesús reminds us how much it matters to look after water and never waste it. He has practised saving it since he was young, in small daily gestures: catching the water that runs off while washing his hands and using it for the toilet, keeping buckets in the shower so not a drop is lost, and treating rationing periods as a chance to raise awareness.
This respect for natural resources is vital in a place where streams like La Toma dried up decades ago, and where the recovery of the ecosystem depends heavily on every drop of water that can be conserved and used again.
On trees and ants
Don Jesús also has a particular approach to living alongside ants, which he considers friends and “architects of the earth”. While many in the area use poison to be rid of them, he prefers to protect them and redirect them, planting canavalia, a bean that feeds them and draws them away from the young trees. That symbiotic arrangement says a great deal about his respect for every living creature, however small.
He also points to the species that have returned to the Bioparque after vanishing from the area: the agouti, the iguana and a range of birds, all drawn back by the steady work of restoring the forest and offering the local wildlife food and shelter.
A closing word from don Jesús
For don Jesús, education and a connection to nature are the keys to a better future. He invites parents and children to visit the Bioparque, to plant trees and to learn in direct contact with the forest. His hope is that the community of Barichara and the surrounding area will come to feel it, and become conscious guardians of this natural treasure.
“We’re here waiting for people, waiting for them to believe in the Bioparque. Bring your children, let them get involved with nature, because the world can be a better place if we look after what we have.”
His story is a living example of how loving, patient care can transform a landscape, and a reminder that all of us can do our small part to keep the land and its forests alive.
Frequently asked questions
The Móncora Bioparque is a nature reserve in Barichara, created to protect the dry tropical forest and to promote environmental education and the conservation of the territory through ecological restoration and community participation.
Since it began in 2009, roughly 9,000 trees of close to 70 native species have been planted, with the help of don Jesús Barragán and the local community.
In the area around the Bioparque rainfall is scarce and many streams have disappeared, so conserving and reusing water is essential to keeping the ecosystem alive and to the success of forest restoration.
The Bioparque invites the community and visitors to take part by planting trees, caring for the surroundings and learning about nature. Tools and support are available for anyone who wants to get involved in conservation and environmental education.
Don Jesús teaches that nature needs help and affection to thrive, that patience is essential before you see results, and that every living thing, from a tree to an ant, deserves the respect and care that keep an ecosystem in balance.
