To think of the natural wealth used for the elaboration of handicrafts is to think of a variety of woods, fibers, skins, resins, etc., an enormous diversity of materials used in the manufacture of popular art . This highlights the importance of knowing, classifying and determining the information on the species of plants and animals available for the production of figures, tools and ornaments . The inventory of plant and animal species for artisanal use available in CONABIO, has information on 666 species , of which 536 belong to vascular plants, fungi, algae and animals (marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) .

1. Handicrafts
To think of the natural wealth used for the elaboration of handicrafts is to think of a variety of
woods, fibers, skins, resins, etc., an enormous diversity of materials used in the manufacture of
popular art . This highlights the importance of knowing, classifying and determining the
information on the species of plants and animals available for the production of figures, tools
and ornaments . The inventory of plant and animal species for artisanal use available in
CONABIO, has information on 666 species , of which 536 belong to vascular plants, fungi,
algae and animals (marine invertebrates, marine vertebrates, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds
and mammals) .
Mexico is characterized by having a great expression of popular art . As part of the cultural
tradition of the town, handicrafts represent the community identity that passes from parents to
children, from teacher to apprentice and are made by manual processes, aided by rudimentary
implements that lighten certain tasks . Generally, the raw material is obtained in the region
where the craftsman lives and this makes the products have their own regional identity, which
allows them to create particular decorative shapes and designs that distinguish them from
others, these being so unique that they differ markedly from what is produced in the nearest
neighboring region .

2. The craft is created as a product, durable or ephemeral, whose original function is determined at
the social and cultural level. Its uses are destined depending on the needs it covers, such as
domestic, religious or ceremonial, ornamental, recreational or as a work implement. We could
say that to a great extent popular art turned the human being into a cultural being. The various
actions involved in culture, ensured in the first instance to respond to basic needs and allowed
to produce what was not found as it is in nature. Each mask, burnished pot, hat or mat has a
function, and meets the material, spiritual and recreational needs of individual and collective
daily living .
In this way, we find that crafts link culture with the environment, society with nature . It is
necessary to know which species of plants and animals are used in craft production to assess
the environmental impact that occurs on their populations and on the ecosystems they inhabit .
In particular, it is essential to determine the status of the species according to the risk categories

3. established in the legislation, as well as knowing aspects of the processes of making handicrafts
that impact both the health of the environment and the health of the artisan; for example,
artisanal processes that use chemical materials related to the contamination of rivers and
streams to be able to prevent or mitigate impacts on the environment and on human health.
The commercial success of a craft represents economic income for the families of the artisans.
However, it is necessary to take into account that the increase in production often implies an
increase in the demand for plants and animals and this can affect their scarcity, causing greater
pressure on the species that constitute a good part of the natural raw materials and making the
collection distances of these grow more and more. The more knowledge they have of the
biology, distribution and management of their raw materials, the artisans, inseparable from their
traditions, will be a key piece in the solution of the problems involved in the production of their
handicrafts, but above all they will contribute considerably to the conservation of biodiversity, in
the well-being of their families and the communities to which they belong.

4. Contact with popular art allows us to know the environment from which the master craftsman
comes, from where he obtains the raw material with which he makes his works; but it also gives
us access to his vision of the world, both individually and collectively. Each piece houses the
compendium of ancestral traditions closely linked to the environment from which they arose and
were nurtured; as well as the sensitivity of the artist who is capable of condensing in his pieces
the origin of him as a member of a community. Every peculiar relationship makes direct dealings
with artisans provide a wealth of technical and artistic teachings and also an invaluable
accumulation of human lessons .