Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico. August 2024.- According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Mexico is home to around 70% of the world’s flora and fauna diversity, making it the fifth most megadiverse country in the world, hosting numerous endemic species. The immense natural wealth of our country faces significant challenges, one of which is the conservation of endemic, threatened, or endangered species.

A critical group that maintains the balance and health of ecosystems is amphibians. Mexico harbors 5.23% of the world’s amphibian species, with approximately 370 different types, of which 252 are endemic. This positions our country as the fifth in the world with the highest diversity of these species. Besides helping in pest control in agricultural and forest ecosystems, they are excellent bioindicators of environmental problems. However, almost 50% of amphibian species are at risk or critically endangered.

Climate change is a factor that contributes to the extinction of amphibians. Therefore, in addition to promoting a sustainable future through clean energy generation, SPIC-Zuma Energía also protects the flora and fauna in the areas where it operates. Around the Potrero Solar Park, located in the municipalities of Lagos de Moreno and Unión de San Antonio, Jalisco, the renewable energy company has identified sites with the presence of the endemic burrowing frog (Smilisca dentata). According to scientific literature, this amphibian species is only found in this region of Mexico and nowhere else in the world.

At SPIC-Zuma Energía, a study and monitoring program for this important species is in place with the aim of protecting and conserving it, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goal #15, Life on Land. Through this study, three areas around the park have been identified where the species thrives during the rainy season.

Some of the company’s activities to promote species conservation include amphibian monitoring; installation of recorders for identification and counting, in collaboration with specialized biologists. During the monitoring, environmental parameters such as humidity and temperature in the area are recorded to identify spaces where the frog could thrive. Additionally, the monitoring allows for data collection on population status, sex, weight, age, and probability of reproduction. As part of the awareness and dissemination of the information obtained about this species, the company conducts talks in nearby schools on the importance of conserving the region’s flora and fauna and their impact on the communities.

Thanks to the species analysis and protection actions by SPIC-Zuma Energía, a 50% increase in the burrowing frog population was recorded between 2023 and 2024, and five breeding areas have been identified around the solar plant.

SPIC-Zuma Energía’s vision for a sustainable future integrates clean energy generation with ecosystem conservation and species protection. The world’s leading solar energy company remains committed to Mexico’s energy transition while respecting biodiversity and the communities in which it operates.