Marismas Nacionales Sinaloa, Mexico, February 2026
Your support has revived a vital ecosystem on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in an area called Marismas Nacionales Sinaloa. In 2025, A Tree for You, together with local partner Humedales Sustentables, led an ambitious project to restore severely degraded mangroves by planting 30,000 mangroves. Here’s what this means in practical terms…
Why are mangroves so important?
Mangroves are not just trees growing in salt water.
They are natural shields that:
- protect coastlines from erosion and storms,
- provide refuge for many fish and crustaceans,
- absorb large amounts of carbon and help tackle climate change,
- directly support local communities, especially fishermen and -women.
However, since the 1970s, a large part of these mangroves has been destroyed or drained, leaving behind soil that is too salty for nature to regenerate on its own.
Step one: restoring water where it belongs
Before even planting trees, water circulation had to be restored. In 2025, the teams:
- cleaned and cleared 300 metres of natural channels blocked by mud,
- dug ecological canals so seawater and fresh water could flow again,
- restored the natural balance of humidity and salinity across 25 hectares.
Results: the soil is becoming less salty, which young mangroves need to survive.
Smart planting
Planting mangroves is not a random process. Using local seeds, in 2025, local teams produced the seedlings in a community nursery and planted 16,650 young mangroves. This work took into account the natural distribution of species according to water levels and terrains. Three species were replanted: black mangrove, red mangrove and white mangrove. Some species are more fragile than others, but to date the results are extremely promsing: the black mangrove already has a survival rate of over 80%, an excellent sign for the future.
A people project too
Not only ecological, this project is also a social and collective engagement. Fishermen and -women and their families are actively involved in the nursery and planting. Training courses and workshops are organised to explain how to protect the mangroves, and why. In this way, local communities become active participants in the restoration process, rather than mere spectators. Such local involvement will ensure the restored mangroves continue to grow and thrive over the long term.
Monitoring for better protection
Throughout 2025, simple but effective scientific tools were used to monitor water quality and soil salinity, as well as the growth and survival of the young trees. Based on these observations, action taken can be adjusted and restoration methods continuously improved. Furthermore, in November 2025, two scientists from the A Tree for You team travelled to the project site to observe the initial stages of implementation and to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including the local partner Humedales Sustentables, local communities and public authorities. This field visit confirmed the relevance and importance of supporting this initiative, which could, in the long term, contribute to the restoration of the mangrove ecosystem in the Marismas Nacionales.
What next?
In 2026, the project will enter a consolidation phase:
- reforestation to continue with 10,000 new seedlings,
- maintenance of restored canals,
- regular monitoring of ecosystem development,
- further support for local communities.
A big thank you
None of these actions would be possible without you. Every donation helps restore vital ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and support local communities. In 2025, thanks to your commitment, water is flowing again, the mangroves are growing back, and hope in in the air at Marismas Nacionales.
Thank you for being part of this adventure.
