Joining the ReSiMar Team: Viridiana’s Experience

Playa Icacos Lagoon, by Viridiana Contreras

By Viridiana Contreras, Water Node Leader at ReSiMar. Written in August, 2025

A couple of months ago, I would not have imagined that by the end of the summer I’d be leaving a city to live in a little town on the coast of Guerrero. I moved to join a team driven and motivated by community change and growth: ReSiMar. From the moment I saw how the project worked, I felt it was a place where I would fit perfectly. The position covering the “water node” was for me: conducting and sharing community science, learning from community members, promoting ecosystem conservation, and implementing strategies to restore the ecosystem balance of the Juluchuca watershed, always working hand in hand with local stakeholders. 

Being part of ReSiMar represents an opportunity for personal and professional growth for me. –Working in the field, with real problems, and offering real solutions represents a challenge, but one that excites me greatly, as it is very different from conducting science in a laboratory under controlled conditions. Furthermore, the lifestyle here represents a radical change from what I was used to; however, I felt the rewards from the first days of my arrival. In Juluchuca, wealth is measured differently than in big cities, because it goes far beyond possessing material possessions. In addition, I came to find a team that supports each other, is united, and faces challenges together, despite the fact that each member plays a different role within the project and the community at large.   

Viridiana’s cat, Ofelio exploring his new home. Photo by Viridiana Contreras

Talking about Juluchuca and the people who live here, I felt incredibly embraced and welcomed. Despite being a small community (geographically and in terms of population), they do not shy away from outsiders; on the contrary, they welcome them with curiosity and a desire to make them feel accepted. I met people who, without hesitation, gave me an abundance of the fruit grown on their land, opened the door of their homes, and took an interest in providing me with a comfortable, safe and warm stay. I have also witnessed the desire of people to participate in activities that represent a step toward the growth of their community in terms of education, the economy, and biodiversity protection. As a human being, it fills me with emotion to see the empowerment of others. 

And finally, moving to a space surrounded by vegetation represented by species native to the original ecosystem only motivates me more to want to do my part to help conserve or restore those areas that need assistance the most. I am excited to have younger generations as a team with the potential to lead this project. I am thrilled to receive the knowledge of the people who coexist with the Juluchuca ecosystem, to learn about its plants, its water, and its animals. Often, the information passed down through generations is greatly underestimated, yet it is just as valuable as that obtained in school, through books, or articles. As a professional, I am grateful to also share what I know from a scientific and methodical perspective, because science is also for and by all people. 

Without a doubt, ReSiMar is a project built by and for the Juluchuca community. It will function and succeed thanks to the active participation of everyone, including the node leaders, who provide the necessary tools to successfully implement the changes and proposals that come from within the community. I am confident that what has been tested here has the potential to be applied in other communities in Guerrero and beyond.