QUESTIONNAIRES AND INFORMANTS
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LOCAL CITIZENS
Name
Age
Occupation
Sex
Education
A. THE CUATRO CIENEGAS VALLEY
1. Where were you born?
2. How long have you lived here?
3. How long has your family been here? Where did you/they come from?
4. Do your children live here?
5. Is life here difficult?
6. Why is this place important to you?
7. What is unique about Cuatro Ciénegas?
8. Why is Cuatro Ciénegas considered to be important by scientists and National Geographic?
9. Have you ever worked with or talked to a scientist here?
B. ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
1. What are the most significant changes in the valley you have seen in your life?
2. What are the valuable resources here?
3. What types of resource use are causing environmental problems?
4. What is the most limiting resource in the valley?
5. Should there be limits on resource use (mining, ranching, hunting, fishing, tourism, scientific investigation)?
6. How will people make a living if these activities are prohibited?
7. What industries are responsible, acceptable, sustainable?
8. Do you have any ideas for new sustainable industries in the valley?
C. CONSERVATION
1. How do you feel about conservation?
2. For the most part, do the local citizens have a concern for conservation?
3. When scientists talk about conservation, what is it they want to conserve?
4. If there were no restrictions on resource use, what would happen?
5. Is the ecosystem, or parts, of the Cuatro Ciénegas valley endangered?
6. Which habitat is most endangered?
7. Is it important to have local input into the management plan?
8. What are people doing for conservation?
D. NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS
1. What is a Natural Protected Area?
2. Did you know that Cuatro Ciénegas was declared a NPA?
3. Why was this area declared an NPA?
4. What are the boundaries of the NPA?
5. Who is in charge of the NPA?
6. What are some of the problems with declaring the valley an NPA?
7. What are some of the benefits of declaring the valley an NPA?
8. Will your life be affected by the declaration of the valley as an NPA?
E. INDIVIDUAL SPECIES
1. What are some of the important or valuable species in this area?
2. Are they endangered?
3. Is it important to protect these species? Why?
4. How can you, as an individual, protect the important species?
5. Are there any plants or animals which are dangerous? Which are they?
F. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
1. Is it important to know the plants and animals and the natural world in general? Why?
2. How did you learn about the plants, animals and ecology of this area?
3. What more would you like to know about this area?
4. How should this information be taught?
5. What needs to be emphasized?
G. TOURISM
1. Has the number of tourists coming through here been increasing/decreasing lately?
2. To what do you attribute the increase/decrease in tourists?
3. How are the visitors impacting the ecosystem/the valley?
4. What could be done to mitigate these effects?
5. Do you think that tourism should be limited?
6. What are the benefits of tourism?
7. Would you like to see more tourists coming through town?
LOCAL INFORMANTS
This section omitted in online publication to protect privacy of the individual's interviewed.
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SCIENTISTS/CONSERVATIONISTS
Name
Occupation
Institution
A. CUATRO CIENEGAS VALLEY
1. When did you become interested in Cuatro Ciénegas?
2. Why are you interested in Cuatro Ciénegas?
3. What is unique about Cuatro Ciénegas?
4. Would you like to see a research station here?
5. What role have scientists played in the conservation of the valley of Cuatro Ciénegas?
B. ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
1. What are the most significant changes in the valley you have seen in your life?
2. What are the most significant ecological problems here?
3. What types of resource use are causing these problems?
4. Should there be limits on resource use (mining, ranching, hunting, fishing, tourism, scientific investigation)?
5. How will people make a living if these activities are prohibited?
6. What industries are responsible, acceptable, sustainable?
7. What are some ideas you have for sustainable industries in the valley?
C. CONSERVATION
1. What kind of study is most needed in Cuatro Ciénegas right now?
2. Do the local citizens have a concern for conservation?
3. Do you know of any examples of local efforts at conservation?
4. If there were no restrictions on resource use, what would happen?
5. Is the ecosystem, or parts, of the Cuatro Ciénegas valley endangered?
6. Why have the wetlands of Cuatro Ciénegas survived when so many of the others have not?
7. Is it important to have local input into the management plan?
D. NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS
1. Why was this area declared a Natural Protected Area?
2. How was the extent of the NPA decided?
3. Are there any problems with the boundaries of the NPA?
4. What are some of the problems for the local citizens with declaring the valley an NPA?
5. What are some of the benefits for local citizens of declaring the valley an NPA?
E. INDIVIDUAL SPECIES
1. What are some of the valuable or useful species in this area?
2. Are they endangered?
3. How can an individual protect the important species?
F. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
1. Is it important for people to know the plants and animals and the natural world in general? Why?
2. How might you teach people about their natural environment?
3. What needs to be emphasized?
G. TOURISM
1. Has the number of tourists coming through here been increasing/decreasing lately?
2. To what do you attribute the increase/decrease in tourists?
3. How are the visitors impacting the ecosystem?
4. What could be done to mitigate these effects?
5. Do you think that tourism should be limited?
6. What are the benefits of tourism?
7. What are the problems associated with tourism?
8. Would you like to see more tourists coming through town?
SCIENTISTS AND CONSERVATIONISTS INTERVIEWED
Russell Brown works as a park ranger with the United States National Park Service in White Sands National Monument, New México. He was interview by the author in person, 1 October 1996, in Cuatro Ciénegas.
Eglantina Canales Gutierrez is the director of PROFAUNA in Saltillo, Coahuila, México. She was interviewed by the author in person, 2 October 1996, in Cuatro Ciénegas.
Julio Carrera Lopez, a former director of PROFAUNA, now works for SEMARNAP in Saltillo, Coahuila, México. He was interviewed by the author in person, 1 October 1996, in Cuatro Ciénegas.
Salvador Contreras-Balderas is a professor at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Léon in Monterrey, Nuevo Léon, México. On 1 November 1996, he responded to a questionnaire sent to him by the author via electronic mail.
Jos Dávila is Cuatro Ciénegas' municipal director of ecology. He was interviewed in person by the author on 5 October 1996 in Cuatro Ciénegas.
Dean Hendrickson is the curator of the Texas Natural History Collection in Austin, Texas, and president of the Desert Fishes Council. He was interviewed in person by the author 3 September 1996 in Austin, Texas.
W. L. Minckley is a professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. On 27 October 1996 he responded to a questionnaire sent to him by the author via electronic mail.
Ron Savage is The Nature Conservancy of Texas' regional manager for northeast México. He was interviewed by the author by telephone on 31 October 1996.
Barbara M. Winsborough is a consultant in micropaleontology. She was interviewed by the author by telephone on 29 August 1996.