Restore and Protect Forests in Mesoamerica

Dear GlobalGiving supporters,

I hope you are staying safe and healthy above all! I write as we approach March 21, International Day of Forests. The theme this year is Forests and Biodiversity: Too Precious to Lose. I couldn’t agree more.  

For this update, I wanted to highlight one of the amazing Forest Guardians we work with in Guatemala, Don Tereso. Don Tereso lives in the rural community of Santa María Tzejá, Ixcán, El Quiché. He grows corn and beans on his land but has always been careful to conserve the standing forests and use his plots wisely. More recently, with EcoLogic’s support, he has enrolled in the PROBOSQUE program, from which small land-owners get incentive payments for developing and implementing a forest management plan.

What motivates Don Tereso to continue conserving the forests is, first, he wants to leave a legacy for his family, community and future generations. He instills in them how important the environment is because it is the place where we interact with all living and nonliving beings around us. 

He also stresses the importance of environmental education from the initial levels of schooling, which helps children and students become symbols of caring for and protecting our nature.

Don Tereso says another reason to continue caring for the forest is that within it there is a wide variety of living things on Earth and this is the ecosystem where many of them live. Human beings, like the rest of the living beings, are an integral part of this system and also depend on it. 

To conclude, Don Tereso gives recommendations to help protect our forests. He says deforestation produces more annual carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, disturbed soils along with rotting branches and leaves cause carbon to be released into the air.  From Don Tereso's perspective, he tells us that forests are the lungs of the planet, so he recommends: plant trees in damaged or degraded forests, reduce emissions, and avoid deforestation. This will, in turn, help restore the habitat for birds and wildlife.

Thank you for your support in helping us work with the most vulnerable populations to make forest conservation a viable choice for them! 

In solidarity,

Mario Ardany de León

EcoLogic Program Officer, Guatemala

P.S. I also thought you might find this recent article of interest, The Corona Connection: Forest loss drives viruses as well as climate change.