Mexico City was built on a large lake system, evident in the district of Xochimilco, a network of canals dating back to the Aztec Empire. Today, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site that brings the past to life.

Mexico City

Mexico City's Xochimilco district is home to a network of ancient canals and chinampas, or floating gardens, originally engineered by the region's pre-Hispanic inhabitants over a thousand years ago. These canals, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, offer a glimpse into the city's Aztec past and are maintained by local farmers who continue traditional agricultural practices.

Efforts by collectives such as Arca Tierra have helped train new generations of farmers and supply local restaurants with produce grown using these ancient methods. Conservationists are also working to protect the critically endangered axolotl, a species native to the canals. While urban development has threatened these traditions, ongoing community initiatives are helping to preserve both the cultural and ecological heritage of Xochimilco.

Ancient canals revive Mexico City's past

In one of the oldest capitals in the Americas, a city built atop ancient ruins, food, art and culture reign supreme, drawing 45 million tourists each year. But along Mexico City's southern edge, beyond the vibrant Embarcadero, there's a more natural sight to see, the ancient canals of Xochimilco. As historian Araceli Peralta put it, what should be the main attraction. The best way to see the region's archaeology and cultural traditions, she says, is aboard one of these, the colorfully carved Trajanera. This entire valley, she says, is a marvel of Xochimilcan engineering. The people that settled here more than a millennia ago dug these canals, creating raised gardens known as chinapas. Some are still in use today. This is like a window to our pre-Hispanic past. We think of the chinamperos, the farmers, as the guardians of the place, no? Like those at the Arca Tierra, an agricultural collective founded and run by Lucio Usobiaga. We have a lot of medicinal herbs, no, and a lot of vegetables. And they would plant side by side? Yes. It's the contrary to industrial agriculture, no, the monocultures. Our main goal is to highlight peasant agriculture in terms of the cultural heritage they have here in Xochimilco. So I'm a little lost in translation. So peasant in American English has a very negative connotation. It must not have the same connotation here? I say it on purpose because peasant, in our opinion in Arca, is the most valuable profession right now because they take care of our environment and they produce good food. What were you doing before? I was studying philosophy. During the time of the Aztecs, these farms fed tens of thousands. But within the last century, the system fell victim to urban sprawl. Farmers like Veronica Martinez Guevara are investing in its comeback. Here you have cauliflower next to lettuces, next to beets. For the last 15 years, Arca Tierra has trained 70 farmers to carry on the chinampa tradition. Martinez Guevara's grandfather had owned a chinampa, but couldn't afford to maintain the land. Do you feel as though you're reclaiming a part of your heritage? I feel very joyful that I get to do what my ancestors, my grandparents did, she says, and I'm happy to be back. The chinampas would recover like that if only a very small percentage of Mexico City would say, I want the produce from there. The farmers would have jobs, would be very well paid, and we would no longer have the urban sprawl growing on top of the chinampas. I'm looking for beets that are ready for harvest. You have to have the perfect eye. Clearly, Lena knows how to pick a beet. Already, 40 restaurants in Mexico City source produce from here. Oh, that's beautiful. Look at that. So, I dig this. Critical demand to feed a wider farm-to-table movement. She uses her fingers. I need this. 17,000 plants you plant every month. Sister girl. I gotta give it to you guys. I'm serious. Beyond the chinampas, and further downstream, Hola, bienvenidos a la Jolotario. Locals like Victor Devalle, a sixth-generation fisherman here, hope to save something even more ancient, the aholote, named for the Aztec god of fire and lightning. Oh, wow, look at him. His refuge houses 50 of the critically endangered species. Toys made in their likeness are currently the object of desire for both kids and adults alike. Do you know how popular the aholote are in the United States? Mm-hmm. Native solely to this area, it's estimated that only a few hundred remain in the wild, prey to pollution and invasive species. What does it mean to you to be able to preserve something that's so unique to this area, the area of your ancestors? Keeping the alien-like amphibian alive, he says, is a responsibility to generations coming behind him. A responsibility also felt by organizations like Arca Tierra, seeking to find balance between what once sustained this landscape and our modern needs. Are you having an impact? Are you having an impact? A small one, yes. With 300 families that receive our boxes, 40 restaurants, and all the farmers' network of 50 families, and all the jobs that they create. So it's a small impact, but what we're happy to say is that it is possible.

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