By Mario Ardany de Leon | Guatemala Program Officer
Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,
It’s hard to believe we’re already in March! Our year has been off to a busy start caring for and restoring forests during this season which brings forest fires and other threats.
I wanted to share that our work to conserve mangrove forests in Guatemala was recently spotlighted. This story is part of COMUNIDAD PLANETA, a journalistic project led by Journalists for the Planet (PxP) in Latin America and authored by Lucy Calderón. "Mangroves give life and are a barrier against disasters," says Marco, president of the fishermen's committee of San Juan. The article highlights how, with our help, representatives of the village of San Juan received land lease contracts for conservation in their community. The ceremony was attended by the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei.
We are also thrilled to announce that EcoLogic was selected as one of 15 recipients of the Small Grants Fund (SGF) from Global Forest Watch (GFW) to protect and restore the forests of Central America and Mexico and empower the rural and Indigenous communities that depend on them.
GFW provides openly accessible tools that use satellite data, advanced computer algorithms, and cloud computing power to access information about forest changes. The SGF offers grantees financial and technical support, enabling them to use GFW in their research, advocacy, and fieldwork.
Over 12 months, EcoLogic will use GFW to safeguard vital ecosystems, promote sustainable forestry practices, empower local communities to manage their natural resources and advocate for improved processes to protect forests and the communities that depend on them.
Finally, I wanted to share with you this recent video that highlights the importance of biodiversity in connection to forests–particularly birds in this case.
It is donors like you who drive our mission. Without you, the impact we have with rural and Indigenous communities in Mexico and Central America would not be possible.
On behalf of all of us at EcoLogic, thank you for being a part of our team! You are an essential part of our mission. If you would like more information on any of the areas mentioned above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at mdleon@ecologic.org.
In solidarity,
Mario Ardany de Leon, Program Officer, Guatemala
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