The Rio Grande Valley once hosted a thriving ecosystem, with over 1 million acres of Tamaulipan thorn forest providing a habitat for 519 bird species and 316 butterfly varieties.
Now less than 10% of the forest remains, destroyed by agricultural interests since the early 20th Century.
Jon Dale, director of American Forests, is working with local authorities and communities to restore at least 81,444 acres of the forest, enough to aid the endangered ocelot population.
Dale and American Forests are also promoting the forest’s ability to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as flooding due to worsening extreme weather events in the area.
Urban thorn forests can mature in 10 years, providing benefits such as preserving water, preventing erosion, and absorbing stormwater.
American Forests hopes to prove the benefits of the urban forest in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Carlos and replicate it across the Valley.
Dale says that any restoration is “worth the investment”, but funding is a serious challenge, with American Forests having to rely largely on federal contracts.
