Category: Community Stories, Mexico, Program Updates

Celebrating José Luis Álvarez

 |  Megan Fulton

Three men holding awardHonored with the 2025 Humanitarian Award for Environmental Leadership

We are thrilled to share that our founder, José Luis Álvarez, has been awarded the 2025 Humanitarian Award in the Environment Category for Mexico by the One World One Family organization in India. This prestigious recognition honors individuals whose life’s work has strengthened humanity, uplifted communities, and restored the world we share.

For José Luis, this award reflects more than decades of effort—it reflects a lifetime of dedication to healing forests, supporting rural communities, and safeguarding the monarch butterfly’s fragile habitat in the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico.

A Lifelong Commitment to Restoration and Community

The award highlights what so many who know José Luis already understand: his work is visionary, rooted deeply in the land, and guided by profound respect for the people who depend on it.

For more than two decades, José Luis has led a grassroots reforestation movement that has:

  • Reforested more than 12,000 hectares across Michoacán
  • Planted over 14 million trees
  • Protected the core and buffer zones of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
  • Strengthened local economies and supported rural families

Through sustainable nursery management, organic seedling cultivation, and hands-on partnerships with local landowners and communities, he has demonstrated that conservation and development are not opposing goals—they thrive together.

His trust-based model of community engagement has become a benchmark for ecological restoration worldwide, proving that long-term success grows from collaboration, respect, and shared purpose.

“Conservation and community development can thrive together—if you begin with respect.” —José Luis Álvarez

Transforming Landscapes

Beyond the millions of trees and thousands of hectares restored, José Luis has sparked something even more powerful: a movement. His work has inspired generations of farmers, foresters, students, and community leaders to protect their forests and to see themselves as active stewards of one of the world’s most iconic migrations.

This award recognizes not just what he has accomplished, but the enduring foundation he has built for the future of Michoacán:

  • restored forest cover that protects water sources
  • resilient communities with new economic opportunities
  • habitat safeguarded for monarch butterflies that depend on these high mountain forests for survival

José Luis’s leadership continues to shape our mission every day. Forests for Monarchs exists—and thrives—because of the values he instilled from the very beginning: humility, integrity, community partnership, and an unwavering belief in the power of restoration.

José Luis in the Global Spotlight

The international conservation community has long taken notice of José Luis’s work. His efforts have been featured in major global media outlets, including:

Media Features & Stories

These stories underscore what makes his work so compelling: it is practical, scalable, rooted in science, and carried forward by community strength.

More on José Luis

José Luis’s passion for reforestation is something best witnessed firsthand. We’ve gathered a few ways you can learn more about his work and the heart behind Forests for Monarchs:

Video: Meet José Luis Álvarez

A short, powerful look at José Luis’s philosophy, the nursery he built, and the communities he serves.

His Vision for the Future

José Luis often says that planting a tree is an act of hope. With every seedling, he sees a stronger forest, a stronger community, and a stronger future for monarch butterflies.

Join Us in Celebrating This Extraordinary Honor

José Luis’s recognition by One World One Family is a testament to what can be achieved when passion, community, and commitment come together.

We are proud to honor his legacy—and even more proud to continue building on it through every tree planted, every partnership formed, and every young leader inspired.

If you’d like to celebrate this achievement with us, here are a few meaningful ways to support José Luis’s work:

Together, we continue the work José Luis began—one seedling, one forest, one community at a time.

STAY INFORMED

To receive the most up-to-date information on monarch conservation efforts, the state of the monarch population, and what is being done to help, sign up for our e-newsletter: SIGN UP HERE. Visit our blog, The Pollinator Chronicles, for more information on the monarch butterfly.

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blonde white woman smiling in forest setting
Megan Fulton
Megan joined the team as Executive Director in July 2017. Megan started her journey with Forests for Monarchs in 2016 when the company she worked for sponsored a "Save the Monarchs Tour." She helped bring Forests for Monarchs co-founder Jose Luis Alvarez to various institutions and organizations on the East Coast for a speaking tour. After stepping away from that position to focus on graduate school, she joined the team at Forests for Monarchs. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Emerson College and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.