Originally from Mexico City, Gonzalo Vargas has been a Royal Resorts employee for 10 years now. When asked what motivated him to volunteer for the Sustainability Group, he explains, “I love nature and watching things grow. In such a built up area as Mexico City, I never had much chance to see this but here it is so very different! Nevertheless, in my 10 years in Cancun I have seen the changes that urbanization brings, vast swathes of concrete where there used to be trees and dwindling numbers of birds and animals.
“I decided to learn more about the environment and to help spread the message that we need to protect our planet, starting in our own community. Whether it is the importance of picking up and separating garbage to raising awareness about the impact we have each time we cut down a tree, and how important it is to support reforestation and park projects, we have to make our voices heard.
“I love to read and research environmental topics and share the information with my Sustainability teammates and Royal Resorts employees. I am always learning something new about the devastation that mankind is wreaking on Mother Nature in ways I never imagined. The need to restore the balance and protect our landscapes and seas has never been more urgent. I think that we can all do something to help. I believe that our role in the Sustainability Team is to be detonators of change; we can make people aware of the problems and they decide how they are going to work for change. Once they realize that others are doing the same, they share experiences, join forces and can achieve even more.”
“As a result of our work, I now know more about the flora and fauna of Quintana Roo, including the many species that are endangered and that need our protection. I make my own compost at home and grow tomatoes, watermelon and limes. I want to start my own small nursery of native trees, herbs and medicinal plants used by the Maya and to help restore the green areas of Cancun and parks that have fallen into neglect.
“I am also teaching my children to respect nature,” Gonzalo adds, “I think that environmental education is of the utmost importance whether in school or the workplace.”
