• people and nature prosper.
• creative and responsible solutions to growth are practiced.
• healthy communities arise out of a commitment to social and environmental sustainability.
• a living river embraces parks, recreation and wildlife.

• finding solutions via an interdisciplinary approach rather than a single perspective.
• leading efforts in sustainable development and regional planning.
• facilitating partnerships between government, business, non-profit organizations and the community.
• promoting a sense of place through educational and community-based activities.
• preserving the beauty and integrity of Tecate's natural environment.
• protecting Tecate's unique historical, cultural and spiritual legacy.

Fundación La Puerta was founded in 1977 by the Szekely family and their life-long business partner, José Manuel Jasso, in partnership with Rancho La Puerta, their resort created in 1940 to promote holistic health, fitness and natural living. Since its inception, Fundación La Puerta has actively supported environmental, social and educational projects in the Tecate and border area, including the preservation of endangered native plant and wildlife habitat within this region.

The city of Tecate in Baja California is located 45 miles southeast of San Diego, California, and 16 miles east of Tijuana. The Tecate Valley winds through chaparral and oak woodland beside the foothills of Mount Kuchumaa (elevation 3885 ft./1184 m.), also known as Tecate Peak.

Once a clean and tranquil border town, Tecate is beset by rapid and uncontrolled growth. The population has increased from 7,000 in the late 1960s to almost 80,000 at the start of the 21st century. Natural resources, agricultural land, and scenic and recreational amenities are being quickly depleted and degraded.

The Tecate River, an important tributary of the Tijuana river basin, has been severely impacted both on the floodplain and within the riverbed. Yet undisturbed, still-beautiful stretches of the river remain, providing rich habitat and replenishing the water table. These stretches also help maintain the area's rural character and heritage.

Unless action is taken now, Tecate and Tijuana, with over one million residents, will soon become one contiguous, unsustainable, and difficult-to-govern urban conglomerate that will completely deplete the last environmental resources of the area.

For the past 28 years, through our visionary and innovative endeavors we have made a difference for the Tecate community. Fundación La Puerta has proven to be one of the most influential non-profit organizations in the state, by combining efforts at the binational, state and national level, by providing technical support, and by working hand in hand with civil society, government, schools, and the general Tecate community. Some of our major accomplishments include:

• Protection of approximately 2,000 acres/900 hectares of native plant and wildlife habitat on the U.S./Mexico border to help preserve regional watershed, endangered species, air quality. This effort was the first Conservation Easement of its kind along the border.
• Creation of a 28-acre/13 hectare community park, Parque del Profesor, in Tecate which includes the Las Piedras Environmental Education Center, a large plaza for gatherings, and a public sports field.
• Initiated partnerships with a wide variety of environmental and governmental organizations, including Pronatura, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy, North American Development Bank, among others.
• Funded and facilitated major planning study of the Tecate River Park Project to determine alternatives to the concrete channeling of the Tecate River, and sponsored ongoing public meetings.
• Environmental workshops program for Tecate schoolchildren at Las Piedras Environmental Education Center.
• Summer Camp programs and educational scholarships for the youth of Tecate.
• Tecate River cleanup campaigns.
• Development of Environmental Curriculum for Teachers and empowerment and team-building retreats for youth volunteers.
• Annual sponsorship of Cultural and Recreational Activities such as Day of the Dead, Soccer Tournaments, World Environment Day, etc.
• Organized and hosted conferences and lectures on Urban Planning and Conservation, sustainable development, urban rivers and bi-national conservation.
• Publication of research articles and lectures to help inform regional policy makers.