Growth of species.

This project proposes the preservation and the restoration of forest systems with trees of primarily medicinal use. Mexico is one of the countries of the Americas with the highest ancestral tradition and wealth in this type of use. The populations of trees used by local Mayan communities have declined due to the erosion of the knowledge associated with their use, in addition to the decline and loss of biodiversity, due to overexploitation, deforestation and the reduction and fragmentation of habitats and the inadequate handling of the medicinal plants.

It is therefore essential to define particular strategies on a general level that allow to reverse the processes of degradation of habitats and loss of the populations of the medicinal plants.

To revaluate, recover and preserve the medicinal resource that the Mayan people have used for generations for their wellbeing and health is a priority and an urgent need. Keeping in to consideration that the medicinal tree flora is associated to various uses, in addition to the goods and services that they generate environmentally.

The transmission of community knowledge of the medicinal resources will be the basis for identifying wild native tree species of ecological and social importance. They will be given priority to reproduce in a plant nursery based on community knowledge and management.

The medicinal tree species reproduced, will be reintroduced in sites with different degrees of degradation, where the active participation of the Mayan communities will be a priority for the monitoring of the different processes of conservation and ecological restoration.

Through the different processes of capacity building, it is intended to maintain constant participation of the Mayan communities, in order to consolidate that they take ownership of the project and give future continuity to the plan of conservation and restoration. This is with the aim of achieving the long-term success and a positive impact in this Mayan region of the Sierra of Tabasco, Mexico.