Rio Reforestation Community Planting Event Returns for its 30th Year

The public is invited to help plant native thornforest seedlings during the 30th annual Rio Reforestation community planting event on Saturday, Oct. 19. The event, organized by American Forests, Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Defenders of Wildlife, aims to plant 10,000 seedlings across 10 acres of land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Less than 10% of the native thornforests that once blanketed more than one million acres of the Rio Grande Valley remain. Thornforests are crucial to the ecological balance of the region, supporting 1,200 plant species, 530 bird species, 300 butterfly species and the nation’s only population of ocelots. The long-term survival of many of these species is at risk unless this habitat is restored.  

The ocelot, for example, has been highly affected by thornforest loss, as fewer than 100 remain in the U.S. This wild cat is confined to small, fragmented patches of thornforest in the eastern Rio Grande Valley.  

“Rio Reforestation is a special day where members of the community can come together to take direct action to help save the wildlife that call the Rio Grande Valley home, like the ocelot,” said Dr. Shari Wilcox, Senior Texas Representative with Defenders of Wildlife. “Through restoration of thornforest, we can restore wildlife’s home and ensure they can thrive.”

“Some people have been joining us for Rio Reforestation for decades,” said Romeo Garcia, Refuge Manager with Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. “We’re seeing people who came out here to plant when they were kids now out here with children of their own. And each year they visit, they drive by thornforests they’ve helped plant in the past that are now recovering. It’s an incredible opportunity.”

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“Through the H-E-B Trees For Texans program, we are committed to ensuring that our state is just as great 100 years from now as it is today. This is why we are so excited to support the Rio Reforestation Community planting. The thornforests planted will provide cleaner air, improve water quality, and help wildlife thrive.” said, Anahi Villarruel, H-E-B Environmental Affairs Project Manager. 

Community planting events like Rio Reforestation raise awareness about the presence of thornforests and the need to restore them to the region, while simultaneously healing this fragmented ecosystem. The Thornforest Conservation Partnership – a coalition of government agencies and nongovernment organizations led by American Forest that includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Defenders of Wildlife– works to identify and reforest potential corridors to relink core areas of thornforest habitat.  

“Thornforests are built into the natural and historical fabric of this region, and yet a lot of people aren’t aware of this important resource in their backyard and the role it plays in our lives – from helping support clean water for the Valley, to protecting us from flooding and supporting biodiversity,” said Jon Dale, Director of Texas and Mexico with American Forests. “We need the community to join with us to protect and restore these native forests.”

By participating in Rio Reforestation attendees will contribute to the revitalization of these critical ecosystems, ensuring a future for the Rio Grande Valley's natural ecosystem.  

Rio Reforestation will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the Milagro Tract in Pharr. To find the designated tract, use the address 904 W Doffin Rd, Pharr, TX 78577. Participants may register online.  

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About American Forests: American Forests is the first national nonprofit conservation organization created in the U.S. Since its founding in 1875, the organization has been the pathfinders for the forest conservation movement. Its mission is to create healthy and resilient forests, from cities to large natural landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. The organization advances its mission through forestry, innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. For more information visit: www.americanforests.org.