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’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.

Doña Bertilia Gómez, a primary school teacher, lives with her family in the community of El Churune, where approximately 200 inhabitants live and is located near the core area of the Comayagua Mountain National Park (PANACOMA). This area is a true natural treasure that captivates with its scenic beauty and biological diversity, reaches an area of 57,136 acres and has mountains that exceed 2000 meters above sea level. This mountain range is located in the department of Comayagua and is the main source of water for most of the population of the entire municipality.

One year ago, my beloved home state of New Mexico experienced its worst wildfire in recorded history. The aftermath of the fire has displaced centuries-old communities, devastated critical ecosystems and challenged how land management policies need to be refined. Even with support and resources, the road to recovery remains long and challenging.

In today’s world, the term “environmental stewardship” has become heavily integrated into common language. We often hear about different approaches to protecting our lands, preserving our natural resources and ensuring that future generations will have the same access to these resources. The reach of this idea is so far and deep that it has become a global movement.

But this philosophy is not new.

This month we celebrate alongside our partner the Ecological Committee of La Aldea de Suyapa (COEAS) the upcoming declaration by the National Congress of Honduras of the Triquilapa and Cantagallo Mountains as a Wildlife Refuge. The mountains of Triquilapa and Cantagallo are located to the east of the Central District, Honduras, ten minutes from the Aldea de Suyapa, also a cultural heritage of the country. These geological formations are the largest suppliers of water for La Aldea de Suyapa and surrounding communities, and have an endemic biodiversity of subtropical dry forest.