Earth Day 2024: Partnership, Action, Impact

This project spans two sites in Veracruz, Mexico's central, mountainous region. Home to two of the largest peaks in the country, this project utilizes native seedlings at an altitude of 1,800-4,000 meters above sea level. 

At the first site, Cofre de Perote Mountain, 90 hectares of land were severely degraded by forest fires in early 2023. Located within the headwaters of the Antigua River Basin, this area provides water to Xalapa City, Veracruz's capital. Our partner worked closely with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, and low-income farming families, to restore this critical land. 

At the second site, Pico de Orizaba National Park, 88 hectares of land have been identified and fenced off to protect from herbivory. The planting site is located within the headwaters of the Jamapa River Basin, which supplies water to more than 2 million people. Reforestation is critical here, as the glaciers of this peak — the highest in Mexico — are disappearing due to climate change. 

This reforestation project will have a significant positive impact on the region, both at an environmental and socio-economic level. At an environmental level, it will help improve air quality, support the water cycle, and increase climate change resilience. It will also benefit native wildlife species such as the gray fox, coyote, opossum, armadillo, lynx, otter, carara hawk, mot mot, and rabbit.

At the socio-economic level, the project supports 221 local families by providing employment in tree nursery production, growing nutritious food, and improving livelihoods through the sale of wood and fruit.

Northern Minnesota forests have become simplified over time due to a combination of historic management practices, reduced natural disturbances (fire), and increased herbivory from deer. As a result, forests in this region are now composed of fewer and shorter-lived tree species and provide less biodiversity values and carbon storage than they could be.

This restoration project prioritizes restoring important native tree species (including white spruce, white pine, red pine, red oak, jack pine, black spruce, tamarack, white cedar, bur oak, swamp white oak and yellow birch), and expanding the ranges of climate adapted tree species. This combined planting will improve habitat values in priority landscapes, including the headwaters of important watersheds, riparian forests along lake shores and trout streams, and degraded forests along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Restored and resilient forests that are made up of larger, longer-lived species will provide a wide range of ecological benefits and improved ecological services. These include improved water quality in trout streams and other water bodies, sediment reduction in streams and Lake Superior, improved habitat values for species of greatest conservation need according to MN’s State Wildlife Action Plan, soil stabilization in the face of intense rain events, and improved carbon storage.

This project represents a monumental effort toward reinstating Minnesota’s tree diversity and strengthening its forests against future disturbances. Its impact over time will be critical to enhancing the resilience of these ecosystems — and safeguarding the benefits they provide.

This project utilizes red mangrove trees to restore native mangrove habitat in an area that has been severely degraded by fire. In addition to planting trees, our partner removed invasive species and cleared the waterway to encourage natural water flow through the area. Before restoration activities began, the area was muddy and had poor drainage. Through these efforts, native aquatic wildlife (including turtles, shellfish, and fish) and birds are expected to return over the next 3-5 years.

To implement the planting, a combination of rural farmers and Haitian workers were hired, providing temporary income. These jobs included collecting mangrove seed, removing pollutants (garbage, invasive species), nursery management, and monitoring and planting activities.

Educational initiatives were also implemented to teach the local community about the importance of mangroves. The project site intentionally fostered a safe space for vulnerable and Dominican-Haitian communities to develop relationships through environmental education.

Thanks to these efforts, the project helped inspire public will to clean the Lagoona Cabarete — and the Ministry of Environment issued a special projects agreement to launch a full restoration of the lagoona. This will provide many benefits to the local community, including those living in a nearby slum. 

Mangrove restoration helps combat the effects of climate change by reducing coastal erosion, facilitating blue carbon, and providing a natural barrier against rising tides and storm surges. Mangroves can also improve water quality by removing pollutants and preventing the runoff of sediments and nutrients into the ocean.