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Vista aérea de las pozas turquesas del Valle de Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila

Cuatro Ciénegas · Coahuila, México

An oasis found nowhere else on Earth. One mission: keep it alive.

In the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert, more than 400 crystal-clear pools shelter species that exist nowhere else on the planet. We work to protect and restore the biocultural richness of Cuatro Ciénegas — for this generation and the ones to come.

As seen in
El Santuario · Flagship project

After more than 200 years, the bison came home

In November 2025 we opened the gates of the El Santuario reserve to a herd of 44 American bison, in alliance with the N'dee/N'nee/Ndé Nation, CONANP, the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, and Cuenca Los Ojos.

In the spring of 2026, the first calves in more than two centuries were born free on this land. And with the bison, life is returning: trail cameras are already recording puma, black bear, bobcat, deer, and javelina on lands once thought lost.

They call it an engineer of the landscape, an architect of the landscape — it shapes the land, and it regenerates it. — Gerardo Ruiz Smith, Director, in an interview with CNN (translated from Spanish)
44* bison released in Nov. 2025
+200* years since their last presence
3,700 hectares (about 9,100 acres) for the herd
8* calves born free in 2026

* Figures pending verification before launch.

Bisonte americano en la Reserva El Santuario, Cuatro Ciénegas
The herd at the El Santuario reserve, Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila.
On the ground

Three projects, one valley

Gerardo Ruiz Smith, Director General of Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas
Leadership

Gerardo Ruiz Smith

Director General · Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas

A specialist in ecosystem regeneration and regenerative agriculture, he is the voice behind the bison's return to Mexico and drives the alliance with the Ndé Nation to restore the ancestral bond between this land and its peoples.

His work in the press →

Support the restoration

Every gift protects the water, cares for the herd, and restores an ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth.

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We work in partnership with
CONANPSEMARNATFMCNCuenca Los OjosNación N'dee/N'nee/NdéMuseo del Desierto
Gallery

The valley in pictures

Bisonte americano en la Reserva El Santuario, Cuatro Ciénegas
Poza turquesa rodeada de desierto en Cuatro Ciénegas
Vista aérea del valle y las pozas de Cuatro Ciénegas
Dunas de yeso de Cuatro Ciénegas vistas desde el aire
La manada de bisontes en los pastizales de El Santuario
Vista subacuática de una poza de Cuatro Ciénegas
La sierra y el desierto del valle de Cuatro Ciénegas
Vista aérea con dron del paisaje de Cuatro Ciénegas

Follow the herd

One photo and one fact from El Santuario, once a month. No spam.