Bringing Forests Back to Life: 22,000 Trees and Counting

July has been one of our busiest and most rewarding months yet. With the rainy season in full swing across the highlands, our reforestation teams have been out in the field nearly every day, planting trees, running workshops, and working closely with local families to restore critical ecosystems. Thanks to the hard work of our staff, volunteers, and community partners, we’re proud to share that over 22,000 native trees have been planted this season across the regions of Chichicastenango, Chuimanzana, and Nahualá.

This milestone was made possible through collaboration with more than 500 families across several Indigenous communities, all committed to reviving the land and protecting natural resources for future generations. In addition to planting, we’ve led nine hands-on workshops focused on agroforestry, gender equity, climate change, and conservation. These trainings are building not just skills, but leadership and long-term resilience.

In Chichicastenango, our project funded by FCG is nearly complete. All tree distributions are finished and we’re now entering the monitoring and evaluation phase. One major success has been the creation of a women-led macrotunnel nursery, where local women are earning income by growing and selling native trees. A new seed bank and community-run nursery in Pachoj is also up and running, helping preserve native tree genetics in the region.

In Chuimanzana and Nahualá, we’re approaching the final stretch of our FCA-supported reforestation work. One of the most meaningful parts of this effort has been planting in a region previously affected by conflict over natural resources. Being part of healing those lands and relationships has been powerful and humbling.

Like any season of fieldwork, there have been challenges. In some areas, other organizations had already begun work, which meant we had to shift our plans to new communities to meet the criteria of our grant. But with strong local partnerships and a flexible team, we adapted and kept moving forward.

This month we also welcomed our final volunteer group of the season from Vivid Roots, visiting from Idaho. They helped improve the infrastructure at a small Indigenous school in Santiago Atitlán and brought fresh energy to our work. We’re also in ongoing discussions with Agua Sana about scaling up our greywater remediation pilot using permaculture systems around Lake Atitlán.

We’re proud of everything that’s taken root this month and excited about what’s still to come. Thank you to everyone supporting this work from near and far. It’s not just about planting trees. It’s about planting futures.