Pronatura's mangrove restoration gets helping hand from Ricoh

Pronatura Sur A.C’s work on conserving mangroves received a recent boost with funding from RICOH. Over the next three years, Pronatura aims to restore 15 hectares of mangrove and provide economic benefits to local communities using this important habitat.

Pronatura Sur A.C. (BirdLife in Mexico) has been working with local communities on mangrove restoration in the Pacific coast of Oaxaca and Chiapas states for 15 years. The work covers 800 ha in three areas: Mar Muerto, La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve – both Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas - and Conquista Campesina.

Project leader Marylin Bejarano says the areas could eventually be connected together. “That’s why our work is called the Mangrove and Climate Change Corridor Initiative”

RICOH’s support will focus on Conquista Campesina with training among the local communities on how to manage the mangroves, monitoring of them and restoration of five additional hectares per year for the next three years.

The mangroves hold an important population of plants, mammals and birds. As well as the resident species the mangroves are located on the crossroads of migratory bird flyways for the Pacific coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

Pronatura's Mangrove and Climate Change Corridor Initiative is supported by Bonafont and USAID.