Mazatenango Mangrove Restoration

The Mazatenango project restores mangrove habitat along Guatemala's southern Pacific coast, where years of charcoal harvesting and toxic waste from a shrimp farm destroyed the ecosystem. The collapse wiped out local fisheries, leaving communities with no income — many were considering emigrating before this project began.

Six community members have been hired to replant the area, five of whom had never held a consistent wage before. As the mangroves recover, the estuary's fish and shellfish populations are returning, rebuilding the fishing livelihoods that sustained the region for generations.

The restored mangrove estuaries also serve as a critical bird sanctuary. BirdLife International lists the region as an endemic bird area, providing habitat for endangered species including the mangrove hummingbird and yellow-billed cotinga, as well as stopover grounds for hundreds of migratory species travelling through the Americas.