17 May 2019
Parque Fundidora in Monterrey has become the very first park to win a Green Flag Award in Mexico.
Completed in 2001, today over 8 million visitors a year are drawn to this huge 144 hectare destination park, which features amongst other things - 2x lakes, 127 items of archaeological importance, sports complexes, art galleries, restaurants, play areas and auditoriums.
Most importantly, amongst all of these facilities the park still manages to retain a massive 80 hectares of green spaces - over half of the total surface area.
Recognised as a Museum of Industrial Archeology Site by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History, this unique park showcases a number of huge remnants of the invaluable industrial heritage of the state of Nuevo León.
Parks that apply for the Green Flag Award need to meet the international standard which is judged against 8 key criteria and 27 sub-criteria including:
- A Welcoming Place
- Healthy Safe and Secure
- Well Maintained and Clean
- Environmental Management
- Biodiversity, Landscape and Heritage
- Community Involvement
- Marketing and Communication
- Management
Carl McClean, International Development Manager for the Green Flag Award said:
"We are delighted to be accrediting the very first Green Flag Award in Mexico, and in fact the first in North America. This achievement recognises the high standards of maintenance and management held in Parque Fundidora and lays the groundwork for many other parks and green spaces in Mexico to follow. We hope this is the first of many Green Flag Awards to come. Well done to everybody involved”
The park was judged by 2x experienced Green Flag Award judges. Chris Worman MBE, parks manager at Rugby Borough Council, UK and Alberto Ipas, former manager of Parque del Agua, Zaragoza, Spain and representative of AEPJP - La Asociación Española de Parques y Jardines Públicos (The Spanish Association of Parks and Public Gardens) - the organisation that delivers the Green Flag Award in Spain.
The result was announced yesterday by ANPR - Asociación Nacional de Parques y Recreación México (The National Association of Parks and Recreation Mexico) at the organisations international Congreso Parques held in Monterrey between 14th - 17th May.
Luis Romahn, President and Director General of ANPR said:
“It’s an honour for ANPR to present Parque Fundidora with the very first Green Flag Award in Mexico at Congresso Parques, in front of parks professionals attending from all over the Americas and the rest of the world”
Keep Britain Tidy, who manage the Green Flag Award scheme under licence from the UK Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government have established a partnership agreement with ANPR to launch the Award in Mexico.
After a pilot test launch in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy, Asociación Nacional de Parques y Recreación will begin accepting applications from around Mexico on the 1st June 2019 for full delivery of the 2019-20 award season.
Carl McClean, International Development Manager for the Green Flag Award said:
“Keep Britain Tidy are really excited about our new partnership with Asociación Nacional de Parques y Recreación de México, who are passionately committed to managing the Green Flag Award in Mexico. ANPR are leading the way as the first country in the Americas to introduce the Award and I'm really looking forward to seeing more parks and green spaces getting involved in the Green Flag Award, now it has arrived in this part of the world”
Luis from ANPR also said:
“The Green Flag Award is developing a strong global reputation in supporting the improvement of parks and green spaces. As the leading organisation representing the sector in Mexico, we are excited to be partnering with Keep Britain Tidy to launch the Green Flag Award and help promote the wide ranging benefits of the scheme for our people and their communities”
Carl McClean also said:
"The interest in the Green Flag Award globally is growing day by day, and this is testament to the core principles of the Award that highlights the recognition, celebration and appreciation people have for well managed public parks and green spaces through a not-for profit international accreditation scheme"
To find out more, or apply for an Award, whichever country you are based in, visit:
www.greenflagaward.org
If you know of a park or a country not yet involved in the Green Flag Award that might be interested, get in touch with the Green Flag Award team: [email protected]
The Green Flag Award scheme is managed under licence from the UK Government by Keep Britain Tidy
