The Guatemalan government, in coordination with the UN, has identified two watersheds that are essential to restore for the well being of the country. Restoration Era is working with the Guatemala Ministry of Water to restore the Samalá and Ocosito Watersheds from the mountains to the mangrove estuaries on the coast.

This landscape focused project provides environmental, social, and economic benefits to all those who rely on the watershed. Esteros de Acapan is a part of this project and is in the once tropical woody savannah area near the coast as the watershed begins to move into the mangrove estuaries. This region has been heavily deforested which has contributed to decreased rainfall, erosion, and deterioration of soil which is why we are prioritizing this region.

In addition to preserving the watershed which has economic importance to the region, the project is restoring the forest habitat of all the wildlife that relies on the area. With less than 10% of its forest cover remaining, the plant and animal life in this region is highly threatened. BirdLife International lists part of the area as a key biodiversity area and lists the entire region as an endemic bird area. Conservation International also lists the entire project area as a Biodiversity Hotspot.

This is an exciting project as it is empowering the local community to restore their land. Each family in the community has rights to an equal amount of land within the community. This community land is strictly enforced through the Fondos de Tierra department and was given to the community under strict conditions of long term use by the community. This was done as a reparations act. The land tenure status makes it so the land can't be sold outside of the community.

Outcomes for local people

This project will deliver important outcomes for local people, including:

• Job creation to restore the forest - this is the community's most pressing need as they had not earned an income in 5 years prior to the restoration project. For many community members this is their first time to have the opportunity to earn a stable income.

• Restoring their land: helping to retain moisture and make it suitable for sustainable agriculture.

• Growing native agroforestry species that they can take to market.

• Selling produce: Restoration Era helps local people take their produce to market and helps them meet potential customers.

• The community is also pooling resources from the project to be able to have more reliable transportation which is vital to them as their isolation has led to decreased opportunities.