Photo Credit: Jeremy Inglesi Jr. / American Forests
AS THE SUN RISES over a barren field in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the light reveals figures who have been there for hours setting up for the volunteers arriving soon. Crates of 30 species of thornforest seedlings line recently plowed rows as workers turn their attention to preparing food, water and shade for the 30th Rio Reforestation community planting event. American Forests has been partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring this event to the community since 1999. Since the event’s inception, hundreds of acres have been planted throughout the expansive Rio Grande Valley, connecting isolated tracts of land to create a wildlife corridor.
Across the parking lot, an ever-growing dust cloud foretells the arrival of community members who have volunteered their Saturday morning to come plant 15,000 seedlings to reforest 10 acres of land. The need has never been so profound, nor tangible. The tangle of thornforest that used to cover the valley — providing habitat to birds, pollinators and the only remaining ocelot population in the United States — has been reduced to a small riparian strip bordering the shrinking Rio Grande River. Organizing partners Defenders of Wildlife and Friends of the Wildlife Corridor have spent decades advocating for the creation and protection of the wildlife corridor that Rio Reforestation has been building. Busloads of students pull in, followed by a stream of cars that fill the lot. At least four generations of community members — from students and scout troops to families and employee volunteer groups — make up the 1,627 volunteers who will work side-by-side, making this the largest Rio Reforestation event to date. “Every volunteer embodies the resiliency and strength of the Rio Grande Valley,” says Mylen Arias, American Forests’ senior manager of community resilience.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Inglesi Jr. / American Forests
The incredible turnout is a testament not only to the strong community ties that compel so many to play an active role in restoring the land, but also to the partnerships that have cultivated it. The seedlings being planted were carefully grown by local nurseries, while the land being reforested is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Arias explains that “the success of Rio Reforestation lies in the power of partnerships that turn vision into action. It is never a solo effort, and we are truly thankful for our partners’ support.”
After their hard work, volunteers enjoy boxed lunches, courtesy of the beloved Texas grocery chain and event sponsor H-E-B. Volunteers then visit booths hosted by partnering organizations to learn more about local conservation efforts. Many also pick up a copy of the new Rio Grande Valley Special Edition of American Forests magazine, featuring stories from local voices in both English and Spanish, along with their own native seedling to take home and plant.
As the afternoon sun settles in and the horizon promises some much-needed rain, volunteers begin to make their way home. In leaving, they drive through a section of thornforest that was planted during the 2016 Rio Reforestation. Those trees now loom over the cars, providing not only shade and sanctuary to the wildlife that has returned, but also mitigating the effects of both water runoff and floods for nearby homes. Soon, only those who worked tirelessly to plan this day remain to take in the result of their collaboration. “This event is and has always been a labor of love: for our land, for our wildlife, for our people and for our history,” says Arias. It won’t be long before these 10 acres grow into a mature thornforest as interwoven and protective as the community that came together to restore it.
