In this section, you learn more about us. You can read about our Identity, get to know each of our Members, see some of our participation in Exhibitions, Events and Media and, you can meet some of our Friends.
IDENTITY
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Science - Art - Culture
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IHUITL (pronunciation: EE-weetl) a word of Náhuatl origin meaning "feather." In the beliefs of several ancient civilizations of México, birds’ plumage had great value. We chose this name as a symbol of the great value of our biological, artistic and cultural diversity.
We are a small group composed of family and friends with different careers and professions. Our goal is to offer you products and services that combine Science, Art, and Culture in order to contribute to the conservation of the biological, artistic and cultural diversity of Mexico.
We want to have a positive impact on your life and on the world!
We do scientific research and communication; we promote appreciation and experiences with nature; we expand and support the production of art with natural, biodegradable, recycled, recyclable or long-lasting materials; we promote sustainable activities and practices.s.
Members
Mara Parra
Administrator | Proyect Supervisor | Creative
I represent the friendly and helpful face of IHUITL because I work directly with you. As an owner of PRINTAMAX, I am dedicated to providing several services such as recharging and remanufacturing ink and toner cartridges. At PRINTAMAX, we promote actions for the improvement of the environment through the responsible use of materials and recycling. I am a member of IHUITL, but also an ally through PRINTAMAX, providing physical space to serve you in person as well as partnering in the sale of equipment that we offer here (books and binoculars).
Rubén Ortega-Álvarez
Bird Guide | Photography | Instructor | Creative
I received a bachelor's degree in biology from the Faculty of Science and obtained a master's degree in biological sciences from the Center for Ecosystem Research (CIEco); both institutions belong to the National University of México (UNAM). I work primarily with issues of urban bird ecology, restoration ecology, ecology of anthropogenic systems and community-based biological monitoring. I participate in faunal studies, and studies of production chains and indicator species. I also coordinate bird monitoring projects, promote citizen science programs, and develop activities on environmental awareness and conservation of biodiversity. I am interested in linking scientific research with decision making in environmental improvement, as well as promoting community development through the study of birds and birdwatching.
e-mail: rubenortega.al@gmail.com
Rafael Calderón-Parra
Illustration | Bird Guide | Instructor | Creative
I was born in Mexico City. I analyzed the use of birds for environmental education in Mexico City to obtain my bacherlor's degree in biology, and, as a master's thesis, I studied bird ecology in a locality of Xochimilco (Mexico City) and its application for environmental education, both were for the Metropolitan University (UAM). I also received a technical degree in artistic and commercial illustration from the Professional School of Drawing - Huipulco Campus and have taken courses related to nature illustration. I have participated in various projects related to Mexican birds and environmental education. I have collaborated with Héctor for over four years in several states of Mexico. I am interested in application of scientific knowledge for the development of projects related to environmental education and art.
Samantha Calderón
Public Relations | Event Planning | Logistics | Creative
I was born in Mexico City, and obtained my bachelor's degree in restaurant management from the Centro de Estudios Superiores de San Angel (CESSA). I have experience in many different areas of service, having worked at the W Hotel, Mexico City (the first in Latin America) and at Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida) as an international cultural representative. My greatest interest and expertise lies in the organization of events. To this end, I have worked in Gradúate Xtremo (by Mundo Joven) as Operations Manager and in the National Chamber of Radio and Television (CIRT) as coordinator of public relations where I organized national and world-class events.
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I am a designer and founder of the "Ka" branch, having been inspired by my passion for leather accessories to create my own designs. I studied with the best leather mexican artisans to learn this occupation and combine it with contemporary design to achieve the perfect balance between simplicity and elegance.
Sabrina Centeno
Consumer Psychology | Creative
I obtained my bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Pedregal (UP). I have worked at Unilever, Mapfre and Novartis in the recruitment and selection area. In these positions, I prioritized the attraction of talent, diversity and inclusion. I have studied features of identity (polygraph, graphology and psychology of the face), and I am currently pursuing a master's degree in human resources. I am an important part in the internal workings of IHUITL.
Exhibitions
ILLUSTRACIENCIA
International Prize for Scientific and Nature Illustration
Fifth edition 2016
The fifth edition of Illustraciencia, an international award for scientific illustration, organized by the Catalan Association of Scientific Communication (ACCC) and financed by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), has as a mission to communicate the importance of scientific illustration and promote it, in all kind of modalities, supporting and rewarding professionals in scientific and naturalist illustration, through the announcement of the award.
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More than 500 works were submitted to the fifth edition of the award. A professional jury selected 40 artworks for the traveling exhibit, among is the winner work "Garoupas do Mediterrâneo" by the Portuguese Pedro Salgado and the 3 honorific mentions: "Pico de la urraca" by Ángel Ramón Moya Muñoz (Spain), "Salvator merianae" by Vanesa Gaido (Argentina) and "Rhynchophorus ferrugineus" by Juanjo Ramos (Spain). One of the awarded works is selected by the general public, achieving one of the elementary purposes of the illustration, which is to make scientific knowledge to any kind of public, spreading science beyond the specialists circle. In this edition, the popular vote award has been for the work "Alzando el volar" by Camilo Maldonado (Chile).
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We participated with the work "Reproductive structures of Ferocactus recurvus (Mill) Borg subsp recurvus" made using the pointillism technique with ink, the elements were rearranged digitally and the size scale was added. It was one of the 40 works selected for the traveling exhibition and is part of the catalog.
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From the Sky to the Paper | Scientific Illustration of Birds
An itinerant exhibition, promoted by Cecilia Ezeta, chief of the Science Gallery area, comprises a space dedicated to scientific communication. This exhibit is provided by CIDEX (Information and Documentation Center of Xochimilco) at the Metropolitan University - Xochimilco Campus (UAM-X).
Review:
Scientific illustration plays a fundamental role in scientific communication by providing graphic support to communicate complex ideas, processes or components of nature. Therefore, this exhibit makes it easier to understand, and expresses these ideas more clearly than can be achieved by words alone.
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In the case of field guides, illustrations are an especially key component, since they are entirely dependent on them to communicate efficiently. This type of illustration is not an easy task, as it requires the investment of much time into field observation, research and working hours to achieve each portrait.
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Birds are some of the living beings that have been illustrated most frequently for field guides, due to the pleasure that many people have found in watching them in the wild.
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This exhibition invites us to observe and take the birds from the sky to the paper.
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Biologist Rafael Calderón.
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Some of the places where this exhibition has been mounted: Metropolitan University - Xochimilco Campus (UAM-X), Ecological Park of Xochimilco (PEX) and the Elementary School Montessori. Educational or cultural institutions can request this exhibition from the Science Gallery as part of the University Extension program.
Mexican Fauna | Contest-Exhibition
|| June 4th to August 20th, 2011 ||
Organized by the art school ArteMario and Los Coyotes Zoo.
Voting was open to all who came to watch the exhibition mounted in Los Coyotes Zoo for two and a half months.
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We participated with the art work called "Coyote (Canis latrans)".
This work was the second place winner with 282 votes.
Life on the Asphalt: The Colors of your City | Photographic exhibition
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Photographic exhibition by Claudia Díaz Sánchez and Rubén Ortega Álvarez. Fifteen Mexican photographers participated with forty images of flora and fauna that inhabit the Federal District. It was exhibited in different subway stations in Mexico City in 2012 and 2013. In May 2013, it was mounted at the Faculty of Sciences of the National University of Mexico (UNAM) and was sponsored by the National Commission of Biodiversity (CONABIO). Currently, the exhibition is available digitally and can be requested using the CONABIO website.
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Review
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How many birds have you seen in your city? Have you noticed the variety of flowers that grow inside urban parks? Do you know the green areas that surround the great urban center in which you live? The Federal District, together with the State of Mexico and Hidalgo, are home to the largest conurbation in the country and the third largest in the world. However, just over half of the surface of the Federal District is made up of natural ecosystems that host a wide variety of flora and fauna species. These natural ecosystems, represented mainly by lakes, scrublands, bunch grassland and forests, are found mainly in the south of the state.
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We often forget that the natural ecosystems that surround the city provide multiple benefits to the urban population. For example, forests are important as climate regulators through purifying the air and capturing water. Plants and animals play a fundamental role in our daily lives as religious, mythical, aesthetic, nutritional and recreational elements. In spite of this, the excessive growth of the urban sprawl has caused a reduction of natural ecosystems in the Federal District, reducing their surface area and endangering all the benefits that we obtain from them.
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This photographic exhibition is an invitation to open your eyes and observe. Look around and start to know, appreciate, and care for the different species of insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, plants and fungi that, like you, live in the Federal District.
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Rubén Ortega Álvarez and Claudia Díaz Sánchez
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Residents of the Surroundings | Photographic exhibition
This exhibition is about the fauna and flora of the Valley of Mexico, consisting of forty pictures of animals, plants and landscapes taken by several photographers. It was exhibited at San Juan de Aragón, Chapultepec and Los Coyotes Zoos, all of them located in Mexico City.
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Review
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At present, the deterioration of ecosystems occurs due to the growth of human development and our irresponsible consumption. Every day we carry out activities, make decisions and plan new actions without considering the ecosystems that form the foundation of our lives: they store water, capture pollution, produce oxygen, prevent pests and diseases, and provide us with materials, food, medicines and spaces for recreational and cultural activities. They also inspire us with their beauty and majesty.
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Our habits of consumption and waste contribute substantially to the deterioration of ecosystems and consequently to the extinction of species. We destroy ecosystems by transforming them into agricultural fields, pastures for livestock, dams, roads and cities; overexploiting; introducing exotic species to the detriment of native species; contaminating; and overheating the entire planet.
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The wonderful basin of Mexico, with its complex landscape of mountains, ravines, rivers and lakes, has been the place chosen as home by diverse cultures since ancestral times. It is currently one of the most extensive and populated metropolitan areas in the world. We have lost several species of flora and fauna, but despite the impressive transformation of the landscape by the extensive urban sprawl, we still have the opportunity to appreciate and improve the home of the fascinating residents of the surroundings.
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Participation of Rubén Ortega-Álvarez.
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