Mangroves - the all-rounders among plants
Along Guatemala's Pacific coastal zone, mangrove forests are an important part of the overall regional ecosystem. They grow in saline lagoons that connect fresh and salt water, making these forests among the most productive, diverse, and complex. They are also crucial to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of coastal residents, who earn their living from fishing, tourism, and agriculture. However, illegal logging in the watersheds, waste pollution, and unnatural diversion dams have severely damaged the mangrove ecosystem in recent years.
Image: Destroyed forest area on the southwest coast of Guatemala
Restoration of over 1000 hectares of mangrove forests
Precisely because these coastal communities are highly dependent on the health of the mangrove ecosystem, the project focuses on large-scale restoration of this area over the next four years. 1,330,000 mangrove and deciduous tree species will be planted and their growth monitored. This will restore 1,025 hectares of Guatemala's mangrove ecosystem. However, the project is not only dedicated to reforestation of the mangrove forests; communities will also be trained in four reforestation and restoration strategies for the sustainable protection of these forests.
Image: Large area as basis for multi-year reforestation project
Training of the local population as part of the success concept
Training for the local population focuses on the direct planting of mangroves and deciduous trees, as well as on injecting mangrove seedlings with growth-promoting bacteria. Furthermore, tree nurseries for the cultivation of new trees are being jointly developed so that the seedlings can be planted independently in degraded areas.
Image: Involvement of the local population in the tree planting project
Together for a greener world
Our commitment to the environment goes beyond planting trees. We believe in the power of community and that together we can make the world a better place. Would you like to get involved? For every NIKIN product you buy, we plant a tree. Together we're making the world greener – #treebytree!
