Protecting Biodiversity and People in Honduras

Once a natural area is legally protected, how do you physically keep it safe?

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.

These are places of incredible beauty and rich biodiversity, and while they enjoy government protection, are still actively threatened by the growing population of the capital. Developers want the land, tree poachers want the firewood, inbound settlers want to build homes and farm...

...but nobody considers the long-term impacts. 

Over the coming years Trees, Water & People (TWP) and our partners COEAS will invest in real protection of the lungs of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and create a 75,000 acre biological corridor both open to the public, and fortified against abuses. Our tools in this effort will be environmental education, public support, coalition building, people-powered vigilance, policy and enforcement. 

We’ll also be working with Colorado State University’s Center for Protected Area Management to train our staff in strategies and tactics for keeping natural resources safe for the people that depend on them. 

Helping communities protect, conserve and manage natural resources on which their long-term well-being depends has been TWP’s mission for 26 years. Now that we’re doing it at scale, we’ll need your support to sustain the push. 

Click here to help Trees, Water & People protect these critical ecosystems for future generations.