Planting now · Guatemala
Brisas del Mar is restoring two important watersheds for the wellbeing of Guatemala. Planting 320,000 trees alongside local families will reinvigorate the land and provide sustainable livelihoods.
There are 96 families living in Brisas del Mar. They live off their land and the estuary, in extreme conditions with food insecurity, lack of drinking water, and lack of electricity. This project will provide the first consistent jobs to this community.
An indirect benefit that has already been gained from our partner, Restoration Era, having talks with the government about working here is that the government has promised to bring electricity to the community and improve the water well for drinking water.
The soil in this area is sandy, and the region is experiencing desertification. Our partner will focus on planting pioneer species that grow well in the sandy soil, establishing sustainable agroforestry projects using native species, and putting in place silvopasture systems so that the community can benefit long term.
Many families in Guatemala are still recovering from the devastating effects of a 36-year-long civil war in the region. Communities have lost loved ones, livelihoods, and land. Guatemala's Fondo de Tierras department has been providing those most affected by the war with new land to restore their livelihoods. However, much of that land lacks its natural forest and good soil, making even basic agriculture difficult and unsustainable.
Project notes from Ecologi, our planting partner for this site.
Restoring degraded land through agroforestry in Guatemala
Guatemala
This project is enabling local people to restore their land so that they can sustainably work it for many generations to come, while preserving and increasing biodiversity in their community. The project will provide new sustainable income streams to enable local people to earn a reliable living.
Payments made through this project to the community for their work restoring this landscape will be the first income the community has had which allows them to access transportation, health care, consistent food and water, and create safer homes.
The project is restoring the forest habitat of all the wildlife that relies on the area. With less than 10% of its forest cover remaining, the plant and animal life in this region is highly threatened. The majority of the area is considered to have low biodiversity intactness, with the areas near bodies of water having medium biodiversity significance. BirdLife International lists part of the area as a key biodiversity area and lists the entire region as an endemic bird area. Conservation International also lists the entire project area as a Biodiversity Hotspot.
By restoring native forests, carbon is sequestered from the atmosphere, erosion is reduced, flooding is prevented, and the area cools.
Updates from the people planting it, newest first.
Since January this year, this project has planted 124,800 trees across 49 hectares of restored land, with a clear focus on repairing degraded soil and trapping moisture back into the ground.
The community had reported that there is already a notable difference in the soil quality and the moisture retention of their land!
Locally, these trees will help cool the surrounding area and store carbon, creating global benefits.
This part of Guatemala has experienced a severe drought, with only 10 days of rain this year. To adapt, they have had to get creative.
The team have planted hardy species that are drought-resistant and are clearing areas of brush to make room for assisted natural regeneration of the forest. They are already seeing great results from these efforts!
RestorationEra are also working with each family to restore the areas nearest to their homes, which can be watered by hand. 
The local leaders are committed to making this project a success despite the circumstances!
At the tree nurseries, 18 people have been provided with employment opportunities, including 5 men and 13 women.
The nursery in San Andrés focuses on providing work opportunities to a women’s group. These women were identified as single women in the community with dependents who needed income.
The regional manager, Eduardo, set up an educational day for children from the local community to learn about the importance of the forest and to have a fun day in the nursery, getting some hands-on experience.
These types of events help create community-wide buy-in and awareness, and plant a seed for future generations to care for the forests that are being restored.
The most recent of the 1,294 trees planted here for somebody's pet.
Trees planted with us this week go to sites like this one, with your pet's name on it.
