January is a time of gratitude and focus for us at Trees, Water & People. We’re bowled over daily by the generosity of our supporters, and January allows us to take stock of progress we made last year, challenges we’ll need to rise to in 2022, and the resources we’ve been entrusted to do our work.

By Laurel Thompson

Stuart Conway and Richard Fox founded Trees, Water & People (TWP) in 1998 to help reverse deforestation in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and other parts of Central America. Then it occurred to them that by planting trees without addressing the reasons they were being cut down, they were only doing half the job.

In the communities of Aldea Nueva, La Ceibita, and Piedras Negras in the Department of Jalapa, Guatemala, the community gardens are managed by three incredible women’s groups. While they play a major role in the creation and maintenance of the gardens, their children are also playing an active role in learning all about their ancestral knowledge, ancient foods and health.

For Santo Domingo Pueblo elder, Joe Bird, the restoration of Tribal lands is more than regenerating critical natural resources. He believes in restoration as a form of medicine to preserve the land, language and rich traditional values that are imperative to the survival of people in Santo Domingo Pueblo.

Back in October, my colleague Valentina and I traveled to Guatemala to do some field visits in the East and Southern region of the country. It was the first time coming back to the field since the pandemic hit, and it was the first time visiting new communities in the Departments of Jalapa and Jutiapa (East).

Ignacio (Nacho) Osorto, founder of our partner organization AHDESA in Honduras, likes to say that when he met Trees, Water & People (TWP) founder Stuart Conway in 1998, his nonprofit was little more than an idea in a briefcase. An agronomist by trade, Nacho Osorto was working to restore and reforest several watersheds in rural communities outside of the capital city, Tegucigalpa.

Giving stocks and mutual funds to Trees, Water & People just got easier. You can now transfer directly from your Vanguard or Fidelity brokerage account.

By Adria Malcolm and Andrew Hay, Andrea Januta

Reforestation supporters say planting trees helps fight climate change, protects watersheds and creates jobs -- arguments that help generate both global enthusiasm and U.S. bipartisan support. Lawmakers are seeking extra federal funding for such efforts. Some public-private partnerships committed to growing trees have been launched.

Joe Neguse has been a household name to people in northern Colorado for several years. His rise into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 gave him a national platform to represent Colorado’s 2nd District - taking the seat vacated by Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

We have a newly revamped look and design here and we are so excited to share it with you! Take your time flipping through our new menu above and explore new web pages, read updated information on our projects, take advantage of new features like our carbon calculator, and even take a look at our new interactive project map to show you more of where we work.

Music, conversation and community were the main ingredients this summer for an unforgettable gathering of like-minded individuals, concerned about our planet’s climate future and the people most vulnerable to it.

When you think of North American cuisine, do Indigenous foods come to mind? Chef Sean Sherman serves up an essential history lesson that explains the absence of Native American culinary traditions across the continent, highlighting why revitalizing Indigenous education sits at the center of a better diet and healthier relationship with the planet.

The IPCC just released its 6th Assessment Report on the state of global climate change, and the prognosis isn't great. Humans are the primary drivers of increased greenhouse gas emissions, and our decisions as consumers will be the greatest determinant of our climate future. The time to act was yesterday - let's do this.

Last summer in Fort Collins was characterized by thick smoke and orange skies from the Cameron Peak Fire, this summer flash flooding and debris flows from the burn scar are dominating headlines.

Planting trees is about more than just planting trees. We hear this frequently from our partners. On Lakota Tribal Lands, planting trees is done with great care, intention, and gratitude. When asked about what makes Pine Ridge a special place for him, Chief Henry Red Cloud told us it was the beautiful country, the rolling hills and the animals. “It’s all here,” he mentioned as he spoke on the importance of honoring trees as relatives.

There are some 8 million food insecure people in Central America alone, many being pushed to starvation after the loss of 200,000 hectares of agriculture in last year's hurricanes. 5,000 people a day are arriving at the U.S. border from the region as a result.