Mexico Town Removes 120 Bags of Trash From Local Stream

A group of dedicated volunteers just pulled 120 bags of garbage from a single stretch of stream in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, capping off six months of Saturday morning cleanups.

Since January, neighbors, locals and foreigners have joined forces every weekend to restore the Arroyo de las Cachinches between Calzada de la Aurora and Canción de India. The group has cleaned the waterway, funded trucks to haul trash to the dump, and hired gardeners to help restore native plants and trees along the banks.

The work is organized by Colectiva Ecología en la Montaña, with Gabriel González and Juanita Nolasco coordinating volunteers. Their goal goes beyond just removing trash to actually healing the soil and bringing back the natural ecosystem that once thrived there.

Meanwhile, another project aimed at beautifying the same arroyo hit a temporary snag. The La Vida de Las Cachinches mural project, which would paint 12 murals over 90 meters of the waterway, got delayed due to permitting issues.

But organizers from Audubon de México say the pause hasn't dampened anyone's enthusiasm. Months of preparation mean they're ready to launch immediately once city approvals come through, with murals celebrating local wildlife, water cycles and the arroyo's journey through the city.

The Ripple Effect

The community spirit driving these environmental projects is showing up in other ways too. About two months ago, resident Lisa Williams launched the SMA Kindness Collective to help newcomers settle into San Miguel.

The group hosts free social hours and information sessions twice monthly at a local restaurant. Their first event drew 30 people, from someone who'd arrived just the day before to a 50-year resident, all eager to share knowledge about residency, housing, banking and healthcare.

Out in the rural areas surrounding San Miguel, another project is making life better for families and their pets. Rosey's Wish, a mobile sterilization van, has been traveling to outlying communities since March 2025 to offer free spay and neuter services.

The organization sterilized 1,203 animals last year and aims to help 2,000 pets in 2026. President Donna Lynes-Miller notes that while downtown San Miguel has fewer homeless animals, the countryside tells a different story where the need is much greater.

From cleaning waterways to welcoming newcomers to caring for animals, San Miguel residents are proving that small acts of community care add up to real transformation.