Reporting connects Mexican fisher’s mangrove reforestation method with international practitioners

18 Mar 2026

Mangroves play a critical role in protecting coastal communities and supporting biodiversity. In Mexico’s El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, one of the country’s largest protected areas, a fishing village has been working to restore mangrove forests that help shield the coastline from hurricanes and other extreme weather events.

In December 2024, Mongabay reported on the work of local fisher David Borbón, who has spent years experimenting with ways to restore declining mangroves in his community. Without formal scientific education or training, Borbón conducted a series of experiments to find the best method to reforest the area’s declining mangrove forests and settled on a direct sowing technique that replicates natural patterns.

“Many scientists ask me if I’m a magician,” says Borbón. “No, I am not. I only live among the mangroves, observe their natural behaviors and try to replicate what they do. If you try to modify that, it will not work.”

With support from his family and community, the effort has resulted in the planting of more than 1.8 million mangroves, helping restore the surrounding ecosystem and strengthen the coastline’s natural defenses.

(Left) David Borbón and members of the El Delgadito fishing community plant red mangroves directly in the ground. (Right) A member of the El Delgadito fishing community planting red mangroves directly into the sand. Images courtesy of David Borbón.
(Left) David Borbón and members of the El Delgadito fishing community plant red mangroves directly in the ground. (Right) A member of the El Delgadito fishing community planting red mangroves directly into the sand. Images courtesy of David Borbón.

Mongabay’s reporting highlighted how practical, locally-led restoration methods can complement scientific and conservation initiatives, particularly in regions where communities depend directly on healthy coastal ecosystems for their livelihoods.

Impact

Following the publication of Mongabay’s article, the story reached a mangrove conservation organization working internationally on restoration initiatives. After learning about his approach, Alfredo Quarto, program and policy director and co-founder of the Mangrove Action Project (MAP), contacted Borbón to express interest in his restoration approach and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Quarto invited Borbón to consider sharing his reforestation methods at a workshop in Mexico “to showcase best practices in restoration and share the methods that are most practical in different locations or specific sites.” Quarto also plans to visit Borbón to see his work in person to learn more about Borbón’s techniques and exchange ideas.

This outcome illustrates how Mongabay’s journalism can amplify locally developed conservation solutions and connect practitioners working toward similar goals. By highlighting community-led restoration efforts like Borbón’s, Mongabay helps share practical knowledge that can strengthen mangrove conservation and nature-based climate solutions.

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Banner image: Mangroves planted by members of the El Delgadito fishing community. Image courtesy of David Borbón.