Cuenca los ojos

In 2005 Josiah and Valer Austin established a Foundation called Cuenca Los Ojos. They came from the East Coast where Josiah was involved with finances, and Valer was involved in art and education. After living for many years in New York City, they decided to change the course of their lives. They came to southeast Arizona and started to develop a method of harvesting water, the streams where they lived in the Chiricahua Mountains started to flow once more, recuperating the environment for native fish, birds, animals and native vegetation. The Austins enacted the first Habitat Conservation Plan in Arizona for the Yaqui Chub, an endangered species of fish. After many years they decided to extend their restoration work to the northeast of Sonora, Mexico, and this is how Cuenca los Ojos was formed. The Cuenca Los Ojos board includes scientists, businessmen and conservation leaders from both sides of the border.