As we watched smoke from the Alexander Mountain fire fill the skies last month, and remember other devastating wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico over the past years, it’s easy to see fire as only a destructive force. Wildfires are spreading faster, lasting longer, and burning hotter than ever before.

As Mexico experiences one of the hottest and driest years on record, the vital need to protect watersheds remains at the forefront for many of our partner communities. This summer, nearly 68% of the country faces moderate to extreme drought, and large stretches of Mexico City came dangerously close to losing water access entirely.

When our partners say the sky is the limit, they don’t often mean literally. 

But of the hundreds of thousands of trees sown by our partner in El Salvador, Agua y Arboles para el Pueblo (AAP), one has reached new heights. 

In early April, AAP’s executive director, Armando Hernandez, received an unusual call from the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador. Frank Rubio, a well-known U.S. astronaut of Salvadoran descent, was visiting the country and needed help planting some very special seeds.

On August 12th-14th, the TWP team gathered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for our annual retreat. 

Our staff has grown to 18 diverse individuals, representing eight countries and five Tribal nations, and the retreat offered much-needed space to connect, reflect, and renew the relationships that hold TWP together.

On August 10, 1680, the Pueblo nations of New Mexico rose up against the Spanish colonizers. For over eighty years, the Pueblo people suffered violence, cruelty, and hunger; exploitation of labor and resources; harassment and persecution for practicing long-held religious traditions that are interwoven in daily life; and psychological and physical stress. Pueblo leaders realized negotiations with the Spaniards was useless.

SANTA FE, N.M. July 29, 2024 – On July 24th, 2024, Trees, Water & People (TWP) signed two separate agreements with the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) to build upon successful collaborations between TWP, SFNF and local Pueblos on reforestation, watershed improvement and forest restoration within the Jemez Ranger District of SFNF.

From June 17-20, we had the privilege of hosting a week-long knowledge exchange in Guatemala City, marking the conclusion of phase 1 of our pilot project in collaboration with the Coordinadora de Mujeres Líderes Territoriales de Mesoamérica (CMLT).

Indigenous lands are ancestral lands. Ancestral lands are all lands.

This is an echo of the survival and resiliency of our ancestral lineage from the elders to the youth. In New Mexico there are twenty three sovereign Tribal nations that steward the land for preservation, restoration, protection, education and peace. These are the same beliefs our ancestors upheld and passed on through generations.

One of the questions we get most often at Trees, Water & People from well-meaning donors of all sizes is, “So… how many trees can we plant for this many dollars”?

Live Life Like Lucas

Back in September 2023, a familiar but unknown face sat down across from me at a closing reception for a forum in Costa Rica. By the time our eyes connected, we both noticeably paused, stared, and slowly pointed at one another. Seconds later we embraced for a full minute without saying a word.

Prior to the 19th century, these gentle giants roamed the Earth freely and abundantly, with population estimates ranging anywhere from 10 million to over 100 million at their peak. It’s harrowing to learn the history of how European settlers drove this species to near extinction; by 1889, only a few hundred remained.

As any experienced gardener will tell you, to get great results, plant the right crops for your climate, water and weed regularly, and most importantly, put time into building your soil.

The Association of Agroecological Promoters of Jalapa (ASOPROAJ), an indigenous organization of the Xinca people in Guatemala, represents a light of hope in the country's Dry Corridor, especially in the municipality of San Carlos Alzatate. Since its legal constitution in 2022, ASOPROAJ has grown to 80 promoters between men and women distributed throughout the region, there are currently 15 active members in leadership positions.

From five thousand to ten thousand feet in elevation the landscape changes rapidly with every plant species and types of soil. Hundreds of sagebrush and cottonwoods sweep over the lower elevations, while ponderosa pines and douglas fir reach for the skies as they seem to blanket the mountainside.

Summer is in full effect for us at Trees, Water & People (TWP). Summer is filled with beautiful weather giving us the opportunity to have family gatherings, explore the outdoors, relax and rejuvenate. But amongst these long-summer days, we remain committed to the importance of our work during this season.

“El Día del Trabajador” or “Labor Day” is celebrated throughout Latin America on May 1st, but to us at TWP, we believe it should be celebrated every day! Our team is proud to collaborate with local partners that help train, empower, and engage people to work hard for their communities, natural resources, rights, and economic opportunities.

This afternoon we had a visit from long time Trees, Water & People (TWP) supporter, Karen Allen. Not only had she brought us a bunch of surplus tomato seedlings for TWP staff, she also came bearing a significant gift to start TWP’s work in Mexico.

The issues Trees, Water & People (TWP) addresses have compounded over centuries, so solving them requires that we think big picture and on long time-scales.

For years, TWP has been studying and exploring innovative climate resiliency strategies across the Americas. In 2023, our Central America team had the pleasure of attending our first Climate Week in Panama, where we met exemplary organizations working across Mesoamerica.

More than 30 years ago, the non-profit organization Asociación Hondureña para el Desarrollo (AHDESA) was established by its founder, engineer Ignacio Osorto, to serve vulnerable communities in Honduras.