Community Conservation of Monarch Forest in Mexico

Alternare and the local communities continue with their tradition of hard work and success! This year, 41,450 trees were planted in 40 hectares of the buffer zone in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve! Women, men, youth, and children all participated in this effort.

Not only was the forest taken care of, but during the last quarter of the year four workshops were held,training communities to build and maintain cisterns to capture rainwater, fuel-efficient stoves and dry latrines. Organic fertilizer is made with the waste collected in the latrines, avoiding contamination of the watersheds. Like one woman told us “I’m so happy with my stove because my little daughter does not inhale toxic fumes from burning wood anymore.” Five stoves, one cistern and 20 latrines we constructed by four indigenous communities and benefited 120 people.

Our heartfelt gratitude to YOU for caring and being one of our partners in conservation. MBF, Alternare, and the local communities wish you a happy holiday season and all the best for the coming new year!!!

¡MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Thirty-three hectares in the buffer area of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve have been reforested to date with a total of 32,890 trees! Fourteen indigenous communities and six ejidos participated including children, youth, women, and men and continue expressing how happy they are to work with Alternare. Felipa, from Cresencio Morales indigenous community has been working with Alternare for six years and told us, “The slopes have been eroded from past landslides and deforestation so I’m planting trees on the edges to stop that from happening and to have the water running through the area remain and not dry out.”

This year the rainy season began during the first week of July, allowing us to start the reforestation in the third week of July, when the soil is damp.

Not only was the forest taken care of, but four workshops to build and maintain cisterns to capture rainwater were held in two indigenous communities. As a result, three community cisterns and one for schools were built. Fifty-nine women and 33 men all worked together to achieve this.

Thanks to your contributions, MBF has been able to support Alternare for 13 years and we are hoping to continue for many years to come.

THANK YOU!!