About Us
Our Mission
The Union de Conservation Agua de la Sierra (UCAS) is dedicated to bridging environmental protection and rural economic sustainability by restoring degraded ecosystems, developing revenue sources to enhance community well-being and protecting the region’s unique and threatened flora and fauna
Our work aims to restore and enhance the Sierra de la Laguna’s natural landscape through the promotion of sustainable revenue generation while safeguarding its precious ecosystem. We believe in fostering a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Through education, research, and community engagement, we strive to inspire environmental stewardship and create a legacy of conservation that transcends borders and generations. Our dedication to biodiversity conservation is demonstrated through our numerous past, ongoing and future projects which aim to balance the need for conservation and sustainable revenue generation.
Building on the efforts of Rancho Encinalito, our mission is to help UCAS become a beacon of biodiversity conservation and environmental stewardship in the Sierra de la Laguna region. We are committed to protecting and preserving Rancho Encinalito for perpetuity and expanding those efforts in the region for current and future generations to enjoy.
Join us in our efforts to protect, preserve, and nurture the natural heritage of Baja California Sur.
Rancho Encinalito
Rancho Encinalito is a voluntarily conserved ranch located in the heart of the Sierra La Laguna in Baja California Sur, Mexico. For nearly two decades, the land has been managed with a focus on ecological restoration, including the removal of cattle and the active recovery of native habitats. As a result, the landscape today is characterized by lush vegetation, healthy riparian corridors, and a remarkable diversity of native plant and wildlife species. Rancho Encinalito serves as a living example of how community-led stewardship can restore resilience to landscapes affected by drought and overgrazing. The ranch is currently in the process of establishing a Voluntarily Designated Conservation Area (Área Destinada Voluntariamente para la Conservación, ADVC), with the goal of extending conservation protections not only over its own lands, but also across neighboring and ecologically connected properties, helping preserve a vital biological corridor in the Sierra.
UCAS
UCAS, or Unión de Conservación Agua de la Sierra (Union for the Conservation of Mountain Water), is a collaborative network of ranchers, landowners, researchers, academics, and community partners working together to protect the natural heritage of the Sierra de la Laguna. The group’s mission is to restore degraded ecosystems, conserve water resources, protect native biodiversity, and support sustainable livelihoods in a region increasingly impacted by drought and economic pressures tied to traditional cattle ranching. By developing conservation-based income alternatives, such as habitat restoration, native plant production, and nature-based tourism, UCAS aims to strengthen both the ecological health of the landscape and the long-term well-being of rural communities. The organization works to ensure that conservation is not only environmentally effective, but also socially and economically meaningful for the families who call these mountains home.