[ti:Millions of Birds Could Bring Visitors to Eastern Mexico ] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Every year, millions of birds [00:03.24]fly between Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains [00:08.04]and the Gulf of Mexico in an event known as the "river of raptors." [00:14.60]Many kinds of birds such as hawks, falcons, kites, [00:19.60]vultures and eagles travel though the area from August [00:24.72]to November to escape cold temperatures. [00:28.32]The event brings hundreds of foreign birdwatchers [00:31.88]to the coastal area of Veracruz. [00:34.92]"Many of my clients have been at other famous bird migration sites [00:40.28]but say they never have seen anything like" [00:43.16]the river of raptors in Veracruz, said Steven Koevoet. [00:47.76]He is a birdwatching guide in Mexico. [00:51.32]Koevoet has shown visitors places in Yucatan [00:54.84]and Veracruz states for over 25 years. [00:59.24]Yet the yearly event has not led [01:01.80]to a large increase in ecotourism. [01:05.40]Ecotourism is part of the tourism industry [01:09.36]that gets people to visit natural places [01:12.52]in a way that does not damage the environment. [01:16.04]Critics suggest the lack of increased ecotourism [01:20.32]is partly caused by Mexico's failure to support tourism [01:25.08]away from its beach resorts like Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. [01:30.84]"Mexico has a lot of potential because of...its great diversity. [01:35.36]But it lacks tourist infrastructure," [01:38.44]said Efrain Castellanos, a biologist in Chiapas state. [01:43.60]High levels of violence and environmentally unfriendly methods [01:49.32]are also problems for developing ecotourism [01:52.92]in the states of Chiapas and Veracruz. [01:56.88]Violence stopped birdwatching for years in some places, [02:00.92]where the activity was an important source [02:03.88]of income for local communities, said Vicente Rodriguez. [02:08.44]He is a bird specialist at Mexico's National Commission [02:13.24]for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). [02:16.96]Mexico's national and state tourism ministries [02:20.84]did not answer a request from Reuters news agency for comment. [02:25.84]But, environmental groups, universities and farmers in Veracruz [02:32.32]are working together to develop ecotourism [02:35.76]linked to the yearly bird migration. [02:38.84]Angel Viveros is a member of a family of ranchers [02:43.56]near Jose Cardel, a town about 10 kilometers [02:47.48]from Mexico's Gulf Coast in Veracruz. [02:51.68]Viveros uses 150 hectares of land [02:55.56]owned by his family for activities including birdwatching, [03:00.00]horse riding, skydiving and hiking. [03:04.16]Viveros is supported by the non-profit group Pronatura Veracruz, [03:09.36]which studies and counts the birds in the yearly migration. [03:13.68]He is now receiving hundreds of visitors yearly. [03:18.24]Local coffee producers Cafe de Mi Rancho, Rancho San Fermin [03:23.72]and Cafetalera San Felipe offer coffee tastings [03:28.24]and educational talks about the importance of birds in spreading seeds. [03:34.12]"A green, bird-friendly stamp for those producers [03:37.80]could be the next step," said Juan Salazar, [03:41.52]a professor at University of Cordoba in Veracruz. [03:47.00]One retiree who has been visiting Veracruz [03:50.24]since 2002 had this to say. [03:53.80]"Apart from feeling the physical emotion, [03:56.96]it is like something spiritual ... [03:59.08]there are no words to describe what it feels like [04:02.76]to see the river of birds," Jose Alejandro Ramirez said. [04:08.00]I'm John Russell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM