Highlights From the 4th Festival of the Sky Islands

This Oct. 16-19, we celebrated the 4th Festival of the Sky Islands in Moctezuma, Sonora — an annual event that uses environmental education, art, and culture as tools to connect the community with its natural environment.

Over four days, the festival brought together organizations, schools, artists, volunteers, students, ranchers, and families in a space for learning, dialogue, and collective action, where the natural wealth of the Sky Islands was celebrated. This year we placed special emphasis on the region’s grasslands, which are very important ecosystems for bird migration, climate regulation, water filtration, and other natural services.

The first two days of the festival were dedicated to visits to local schools, where teams from the Universidad de la Sierra Biology department, Sky Island Alliance, La Tierra del Jaguar, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Equipo Prorest – CONANP, and other organizations gave talks, activities, and workshops on wildlife, water, soils, biodiversity, and environmental stewardship.

At the Universidad de la Sierra, specialists from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum shared knowledge about smart irrigation systems. In the afternoon, a group panel discussed impacts of megaprojects in the region. Friday concluded with a folk dance workshop, film screening, and camping night.

Saturday was a true celebration for the community. Starting early, attendees participated in yoga, bird watching along the Moctezuma River, a guided hike at Sierra La Madera, and a kids dance workshop.

In the afternoon, the central plaza of Moctezuma became the gathering point for the community festival, with information booths, drawing exhibitions, local food vendors, and interactive games. The stage was filled with contemporary dance, theater, and music, in addition to the awards ceremony for the drawing contest. The festival closed with a community dance, a symbol of unity and shared joy.

On Sunday, a regenerative ranching panel with local ranchers and other experts on the subject met with the ranching community of Moctezuma to discuss different approaches to livestock and land management, as well as the benefits obtained from implementing more sustainable practices.

We thank all the people, institutions, and organizations that made this event possible, especially the community of Moctezuma for their warm hospitality. We look forward to seeing everyone in the months ahead and at the festival again next year!

Photos courtesy Sky Island Alliance, Cuenca Los Ojos, Paulina Gamboa and Girlypops.