Forests for Monarchs promotes reforestation of marginal agricultural plots, demonstrating to local landowners that native trees can create the financial resources they need to support a better life for their families, while being friendlier to the environment. Restored and managed forests provide wildlife habitat and support biodiversity in ways that monocultures such as corn or avocados cannot. Restoration of mountainside watersheds to forest will be a gradual process, as the success of early participants demonstrates to their neighbors that replanting the forest may be a better choice for their families and the environment than agriculture.
Local benefits include:
- Improved soil hydrology
- Fewer landslides
- Less soil erosion
- Springs start flowing again
- Cleaner air and water
- Renewable source of cooking and heating fuel
- Economic benefits to raise standard of living for impoverished people
