Rivera is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Cal State San Marcos. He is also a member of the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society and lives in East County.
In 2012, as an undergraduate at California State University San Marcos, I finished my studies by taking a course abroad in Ecuador. It was a life-changing experience in that I learned of the Andean culture and the importance of protecting “Mother Earth," which, in the Quechua language, is “Pachamama.” My six weeks in Ecuador turned into three months. I visited longer in order that I could travel the country and learn more of ancient Andean history and rituals, and discover how residents viewed protecting our planet and its habitants.
Upon my return home to the U.S., I was filled with the desire to learn more about Pachamama and engage in the protection of unprotected creatures. No, I didn’t stop a logger from cutting down a tree, nor did I board a ship to protect whales off the Japanese coast. I simply started doing volunteer work to guide me towards a place I wanted to be, as I continue learning about our changing planet. I found myself assisting in American Red Cross disaster relief efforts following the many wildfires that raged in Northern California and after Hurricane Harvey in decimated communities in Texas.
Losing my home to the Harris Wildfire in 2007 may also have triggered me to learn more about accelerating and severe changes to our weather. Volunteering on natural disaster response teams gave me an understanding of and appreciation for living in the moment. This gave me a greater respect for the increased loss of habitats for honey bees and Monarch butterflies. It also gave me a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of life on our planet. Fewer flowers due to increased temperatures results in fewer pollinators, which results in less food.
A few weeks ago, friends and members of the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society came to my property to help build a habitat for a new friend who needed a new home: Mojo, a 185-pound sulcata tortoise. His name, according to Webster's Dictionary, means, “magic spell or charm.” He has his own personality and can really turn on the speed when he wants to. He's been clocked at 1 mile per hour. It would only take him between four to five years to hustle from San Diego to Ecuador. Despite their potential size, however, sulcatas of all ages can be great burrowers that can go missing, and they can be quite difficult to find afterwards.
Mojo’s current owners don’t wish to part with their reptilian beast, but he has outgrown his current suburban habitat. They understand the need for Mojo to expand his territory. As his caretakers, they provided him well with all the hay, succulents and leafy greens he could eat. As Mojo is about to become part of our family, I decided to make my ranch an even larger refuge for our animal kingdom. For example, we are home to unwanted goats once used for weeding abatement. I’m also developing habitats for honey bees and planting native milkweed for Monarch butterflies. I’m naming my property Rancho Pachamama to honor my 2012 visit to Ecuador. Our welcome for Mojo to his new home has been set for Thursday, May 23, to coincide with World Turtle Day. It might not seem like much to some, but to Mojo, it means he has extra access to succulents and will be sharing a home with seven goats.
Mojo is fortunate in the sense that he has a home. The declining number of honey bees impacts our food chain as they serve as pollinators. With less food comes food scarcity, which will likely increase food prices and famine throughout the world. In the U.S., this could mean paying a dollar for a lemon, or it could even threaten our national security. No, Mojo can’t outrun a hypersonic missile. But it will be more challenging to grow what the animal kingdom needs to survive. If its denizens can’t survive, neither can we. Then Mexico might build a wall to keep us out. For now, I'm preparing for the arrival of a new friend, planting Mexican lime trees and collecting goats to eat my weeds. I ask you, have you found your Mojo?
This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune .
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