Our Work
The communities sustaining the majority of the world’s natural resources have the fewest resources to sustain themselves.
We help change that.
We believe that natural resources are best protected by local people, and that conserving local ecosystems is essential for the well-being of communities everywhere.
Our Priorities
Trees, Water & People is an environmental organization with a human focus.
Our view of sustainability looks generations ahead, and rests on local leadership, stable opportunities for work, and the centering of Indigenous peoples, women, and youth.
All of our efforts are led by local partners, guided by five central priorities:
Environmental stewardship – Conserving and restoring vital ecosystems
Indigenous sovereignty – Centering decisions of Indigenous nations and communities
Dignified Livelihoods – Cultivating stable and inclusive economies
Gender Equity – Promoting leadership and wellbeing of women
Youth Development – Supporting the next generation of stewards
Our Approach
We support local organizations and communities in protecting their natural resources, on their terms, and strengthen their capacity to continue doing so.
Because we know that the sustainability of ecosystems rests on the sustainability of the organizations and communities stewarding them.
We build long-term partnerships with grassroots organizations and communities. Our average partnership length is 9 years.
We support priorities and projects led by local partners. Through flexible funding, project organization, and implementation.
We strengthen local partners’ capacity and resilience. By investing in staff, training, and long-term planning.
We create and convene regional alliances. Through research, networks, and events.
Our Supporters
Our work depends on supporters who share our vision for the future.
When you donate to TWP, you join a community of people committed to building it.
SUPPORT TWP TODAY
Where we work
Mesoamerica Program Locations
Mexico: Forest restoration and women’s entrepreneurship within Indigenous ejido lands.
Guatemala: Food sovereignty and forest conservation, based on agroecology, traditional ecological knowledge, and leadership of Maya communities.
Honduras: Forest protection, women’s health, and sustainable livelihoods through clean cookstoves.
El Salvador: Mangrove restoration, sustainable fisheries, and household food security, building long-term coastal resilience.
Regional: Strengthening grassroots organizations and sustainable economies through research, exchanges, advocacy, and network-building.
Indigenous Lands Program Locations
New Mexico: Post-fire watershed restoration, reforestation, and employment of Native youth, in alliance with Pueblo communities.
Southern Colorado: River restoration, traditional harvest of culturally-relevant plants, and access to ancestral lands with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
Northern Colorado & Wyoming: Bison rematriation and restoration of native plant species, in partnership with local Tribes.
South Dakota: Lakota-led solar energy, reforestation, and intergenerational connection.
Regional: Convening Tribal natural resource managers, leaders, and organizations from across the U.S. through Stewards of the Southwest.
Many of the community leaders and our partners we work with in El Salvador, Honduras, or Guatemala have had to deal with a civil war in their country. Often forced to migrate to another country, abandoning their homes, families, and livelihoods. But regardless of the odds and incredible bravery, people come back to their communities and decide to make a positive change.