Alliance For International Reforestation Inc

The Alliance for International Reforestation's (AIR's) mission is to implement educational programs, reforestation, and regenerative farming methods in Central America in order to protect water sources, build soil health, prevent mudslides and erosion, prevent lung disease and provide more nutritious crops—while protecting the Earth. We choose Hope.

AIR utilizes a comprehensive community-led program with interrelated environmental and rural poverty components to help indigenous Maya communities and the environment. They include:

· Reduce the impacts of climate change through reforestation using native species of trees

· Establish forested landscape linkages to improve biodiversity and movement of wildlife

· Improve food production and nutrition using organic regenerative farming techniques

· Reduce mudslides and soil erosion, and improve downstream water quality through reforestation and agricultural techniques

· Reduce firewood usage and lung disease by constructing fuel-efficient vented cook stoves

· Educate children by providing curriculum, gardens and tree nurseries for rural schools

· Establish tree nurseries that can be converted to micro-businesses

AIR developed and utilizes a community-based reforestation and regenerative farming approach to implement its projects. This approach involves farmers and community members providing the leadership, labor, and land for the AIR program; and working and learning under the direction of an AIR technician for 2-5 years. All of our technicians are indigenous Maya who speak the local dialects and know the communities they serve, facilitating close long-term relationships. Our AIR technicians initiate the projects, provide the supplies/materials, and are expert teachers and a resource, but local community members own and manage the projects.

In 2023 AIR worked in 70 communities in Guatemala and Nicaragua and our tree nurseries produced over 775,000 seedlings.