A group of young Mexicans has been awarded the globally recognized Iris Prize in the STEM category for a project that seeks to reconnect a community with its local river through citizen science.
Dubbed Journey to the Microcosm of Nuevo León, the project invites residents of the Monterrey metropolitan area and beyond to get to know the Santa Catarina River, which in recent years, has been seen more as a flood risk than a valuable part of the city’s ecosystem.
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Running from Guadalupe through the southern boroughs of Monterrey, the Santa Catarina River is home to over 1,200 documented species — including the monarch butterfly, the American beaver and the spiny soft-shell turtle — but was essentially paved over as Monterrey expanded its sprawl beginning in the 1950s. Since Hurricane Alex in 2010, the riverbed has been rewilding, aided by initiatives like Journey to the Microcosm of Nuevo León.
Through a series of workshops and walks, the project invites people of all ages to use DIY microscopes and the iNaturalist app to observe and document the river’s biodiversity. Launched in 2021, the project has formed a community of 600 observers and increased the number of recorded species from 781 to 1,126, strengthening legal efforts to protect them.
“The 2025 winners remind us why supporting youth leadership is one of our most urgent commitments to the planet,” Millie Edwards, director of The Iris Project, said. “With the climate and biodiversity crises accelerating, supporting young innovators is not optional: it is essential if we want a safer and more sustainable future.”
Led by Marbet Aguilar Higrodo, Lizeth Ovalle Saldaña, Andrea Villarreal Rodríguez, Alma Arredondo Medellín and Eduardo Rivera García, the Monterrey-based project is joined by a prize-winning initiative in Mongolia working to fight air pollution and another project in the Philippines, aimed at marine conservation.
This year’s winners and finalists will collectively receive US $43,000 in funding and additional support to scale their work in the coming years. The Journey to the Microcosm of Nuevo León, in particular, will receive $10,000.
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“In Mongolia, Mexico and the Philippines, young leaders are tackling toxic air, restoring rivers and protecting endangered species, proving that youth-led action creates impact where it matters most,” the Iris Project said in a statement. “They don’t just give us hope, they deliver results.”
The Iris Project is a youth-led, trust-based grantmaker that supports collective leadership in young people to drive environmental change. With less than 1% of institutional climate funding allocated to young people, the Iris Prize aims to tackle this issue and support environmental projects led by young people.
Mexico News Daily
