Sustainability

Articles

A person standing on a paddleboard in a narrow waterway, holding a paddle. The waterway is surrounded by trees and some structures, with a few people visible in the background.

The Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Aztec-Era “Floating Gardens”

Business is booming for farmers in Mexico City who plant on man-made islands.

by Amanda Gokee

A farmer planting seeds in a field, with a person bending down and using a tool, under a partly cloudy sky with trees lining the horizon.

In Mexico City, the pandemic revived Aztec-era island farms

See how the city's residents sought out chinampas, human-built islands that once fed several hundred thousand people, for sustenance and solace during COVID-19.

By Alejandra Borunda

A man holding freshly harvested radishes in a garden with lush green plants, trees, and overcast sky.

Mexico’s Famous Floating Gardens Return to Their Agricultural Roots

One of the capital city’s iconic tourist sites doubles as an experiment in urban farming.

By Naomi Tomky

Two people working in a greenhouse or farm, picking and harvesting leafy vegetables or lettuce, with rows of crops extending into the background.

Can the Chinampas Survive?

Mexico City’s Endangered ‘Floating Gardens’

By Joseph Sorrentino

Man in a boat paddling down a waterway with potted orange flowers during daytime.

Mexico City’s ancient Xochimilco floating gardens are in ecological peril

The once great floating gardens of Mexico City, which filled the bellies of the Aztecs, are dying of serious neglect.

By William Booth

Silhouette of a person standing by a river, surrounded by trees, with sunlight shining through the branches, creating a serene and misty atmosphere.

An Aquatic Paradise in Mexico, Pushed to the Edge of Extinction

By Victoria Burnett

Videos

Disclaimer: Chinampas in Xochimilco were created by the Xochimilcas, not Mexica/Aztecs.