It is satisfying to know that people around the world are intrigued with Indigenous Peoples and support the feats being endured. Working with Trees, Water & People (TWP), I have learned that this is one of our best and strongest virtues. We bring like-minded people to the table and our organization to move our mission and virtues forward.

Located in the heart of the region, La Labor is much more than just a picturesque landscape; It is a natural sanctuary that plays a critical role in the region's livelihoods.

This year, I’ve had the privilege of traveling to Mexico twice. The first visit was a two-week-trip to three different Departments in Mexico (Puebla, Veracruz, and Oaxaca) to get to know our new potential partner Red Mocaf, visit their communities, meet their community leaders, and get to know the realities of each region.

Originating from Pueblo-led forest restoration projects in New Mexico, the collaboration of Trees, Water & People and The Nature Conservancy was developed to share vision, experience, determination, and our Pueblo connections, in order to further the efforts of stewarding valuable Tribal forests.

Trees, Water & People (TWP) is 26 years old? That can’t be right. The years that Stuart and I spent creating and building TWP remind me of the years raising our three children. There were months of momentum and optimism that raced by at a gallop, and also moments of loss and challenges that felt like we would never make it through.

This year’s Earth Day had a different shine to it than past years.

While we were shivering at 0℃ here at our annual Fort Collins, CO community celebration, our friends at COEAS in Honduras were in the thick of another heat wave, having put out yet another forest fire in their newly designated National Wildlife Refuge, and inaugurating the new protected area to the public.

There’s a certain magic in serving others… especially when what you’re serving is Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on National Free Cone Day!

Within two weeks of having legally created a new 12,600 acre national Wildlife Refuge Suyapa - Luís Hernán Valladares Baca “Mero” on the edge of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, it was set ablaze. Today, some 5% of the 59,000 acre La Tigra National Park, in Tegucigalpa is on fire, and the capital is shrouded in smoke.

With a solid trajectory, FUNDEBASE has been walking hand in hand with Indigenous farming communities in Guatemala for 28 years. The organization is committed to respecting and preserving Mayan knowledge, wisdom and cosmovision, focusing on food production through Agroecology.

In Guatemala, we had the pleasure of meeting our newest TWP team member, Marlen Garcia (CAP Coordinator), reconnecting with our newest partner FUNDEBASE while visiting local communities around the Quiche Department, and visiting the community of El Tarral and other efforts by our partner Utz Che’.

In the midst of media chaos, uncertain climate futures, and economic instability, our youth are facing both complex and unprecedented challenges. Our Tribal partners have always known the importance of cultivating and empowering youth to be future leaders through knowledge sharing, cultural immersion, and granting opportunities.

After a unanimous congressional vote, 12,620 acres of forest and a water source serving 5,000 families will be permanently protected as the Wildlife Refuge of Suyapa, Luís Hernán Baca Valladares, “MERO”.

The health of our planet is increasingly at risk, and organizations are more aware of their responsibility in managing their emissions. The challenge is knowing where to start!

This week, after almost 40 years of struggle to draw attention to their cause, Honduras’ National Congress will hold a vote on declaring COEAS’s forest a 12,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge, based on the rich biodiversity seen and recorded there.

Santa Ana - In a groundbreaking gathering from January 29th - February 1st, 2024, the inaugural Tribal Forest and Fire Summit convened at Santa Ana Pueblo, NM uniting over 175 participants from 22 pueblos, tribes, and native nations. This catalyzing event also welcomed a broad spectrum of agencies and nonprofits from across the state, fostering a vibrant forum for exchanging ideas on land management, conservation, and forest fire mitigation.

The theme of Trees, Water and People’s 25th anniversary year has been People over Projects - which recognizes that the processes we undertake are ongoing, and depend on people with stable economic and social footing to get done well.

In November 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in the Gathering of Agroecological Promoters, titled "Land, Water, and Seeds: Millenary Heritage for Good Living." The event was collectively developed by a diverse group of 80 promoters representing approximately 13 indigenous communities.

In the last two decades, wildfires have ravaged Tribal lands and its protective boundaries. As the fires were suppressed and recovery plans started to percolate, one key restoration item was never brought up - replacing and updating the pre-existing fence line.

Luis Hernán Baca Valladares, August 18, 1955 - January 10, 2024

The members of the ecological committee of the Aldea of Suyapa (COEAS), have many things in common, such as solidarity, empathy and passion, but above all, there is something that unites them: the love for nature.