July Blogpost: Rainy Season Revival in Lake Atitlan

July has been an incredibly productive month for our reforestation program here in the beautiful western highlands of Guatemala. Our team has been busier than ever, ensuring that the mountains around Lake Atitlan are greener and more vibrant than ever before. 

Over the past month, our dedicated reforestation team has been on the move, picking up and distributing thousands of trees to eager farmers and families in the villages of Chuitzanchaj, Pajomel,Tzununa, and several small communities of Santa Lucia Utatlan. Most of these trees were carefully nurtured in our Wellkind Nursery in Tzununa and the MAGA (National Agricultural Ministry) nursery in Chimaltenango. This year, we’re thrilled to have partnered with another fantastic local NGO, Natun, who generously provided us with 7,000 trees for distribution.

July is always the busiest time of year for our reforestation efforts. We take full advantage of the rainy season to maximize the survivability of the trees we distribute. This past month, we’ve managed to distribute a whopping 18,000 native wood and fruit trees to farmers and families across seven different communities. Our team has been constantly traveling between nurseries and communities, ensuring that every tree gets to where it’s needed most. It’s a challenging task, but seeing the smiles on the faces of local farmers and families as they receive their trees makes it all worthwhile. The sight of freshly planted trees, ready to grow and thrive, is a reminder of why we do what we do.

Looking ahead to August, our work is far from over. Our team will be visiting each planting site to check on the trees and ensure they are all in the ground. We’ll be documenting each tree planting site and updating our ARCGIS map, which helps us keep track of all the data related to our reforestation efforts. This meticulous process ensures that we can monitor the progress and health of the trees, ensuring a high success rate for our reforestation program.

Reforestation is not just about planting trees; it’s about fostering a sustainable future for our communities and the planet. Every tree planted is a step towards combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and supporting the livelihoods of local farmers. We’re incredibly grateful for the support of our partners and the dedication of our team, who work tirelessly to make this vision a reality. One of our main goals through this program is to provide indigenous communities long term access to natural resources like fresh water, fertile soil, and abundant forests. 

As always, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you, our supporters. Your contributions and encouragement are the roots that keep this program growing strong. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to green the highlands of Guatemala, one tree at a time.