Planting for the Planet
Planting for the Planet
Planting for the Planet

Maya Forest Restoration

On the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, the Silvituc community is working to bring their land back to life by planting native trees and restoring parts of the Maya Forest. This area has become hotter, drier and more difficult to farm due to years of deforestation, but this restoration project aims to revitalise the land, increase agricultural productivity and create more sustainable income opportunities, while still preserving the traditional rural Mayan lifestyle. 

By planting more native trees in the area, the Silvituc community is also creating new habitats for the beautiful animals that call the Maya Forest home.  

Maya Forest
Maya Forest
Maya Forest

In partnership with Restoration Era

Restoration Era is a dedicated reforestation non-profit with a people-first approach. They focus on restoring ecosystems in Central America, creating jobs and transforming lives. By reforesting degraded lands, they help rebuild devastated environments, alleviate poverty through community employment and support sustainable livelihoods. Restoration Era’s mission is rooted in dignity, care and empowering marginalized communities to thrive while restoring their ecosystems. 

Location

After the Amazon, the Maya Forest is the second-largest jungle in the Americas, covering parts of Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. The area is home to incredible native wildlife and unique endangered species in need of protection, including toucans, parrots, hummingbirds, howler monkeys, spider monkeys and jaguars.

This particular section of the Maya Forest is also home to one of the few significant above-ground water supplies in the region, playing a key role in protecting the critical water sources needed to preserve the entire ecosystem. 

Maya Forest
Maya Forest
Maya Forest

Background

Rich in local traditions, the Silvituc community has long relied on the Maya Forest to support their livelihood. However, years of cattle farming, unsustainable logging and deforestation have put the area’s landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage at risk.

Large parts of the forest have vanished over time, and the Calakmul Reserve is one of the last intact areas of the jungle left in this region.

This project borders on the reserve and is dedicated to expanding the forest’s canopy and restoring its ecosystem. 

Maya Forest
Maya Forest
Maya Forest

Approach

This project aims to restore the land and protect the region’s diverse wildlife by planting native species such as mahogany (caoba), sapodilla (zapote), kapok (ceiba) and logwood (palo de tinto), as well as wild tamarind (tzalam) and breadnut (ramón).

In addition, the Silvituc community is embracing more sustainable practices like agroforestry, shade crops and their ancestral tradition of beekeeping to protect the land and pave the way for a future that both benefits the local community and safeguards the natural environment.  

Maya Forest
Maya Forest
Maya Forest

Environmental Benefits

Restoring the Maya Forest through the introduction of more sustainable practices and reforestation promises lots of environmental benefits, including enhanced biodiversity in the area, preserved water supplies and habitat protection for vulnerable local wildlife. 

Not far from the project area lies Balam Ku (the Jaguar Temple), named after the iconic jaguar native to the Maya Forest. This project will help restore important migration corridors and expand jaguar territory, as well as protect other unique and endangered species like white-lipped peccaries, tapirs, scarlet macaws, harpy eagles and howler monkeys. 

Maya Forest
Maya Forest
Maya Forest

Community

This project provides the local Silvituc community with training, sustainable income opportunities and support to improve their agricultural yields, replacing slash-and-burn practices with a more long-term approach.

On top of protecting the local environment, restoring the forest also means preserving the area’s important cultural heritage and traditional rural Mayan lifestyle for generations to come.  

Maya Forest
Maya Forest
Maya Forest

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Where will my tree be planted?

A) Through our Planting for the Planet program, we’ve planted trees across the globe, including in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Morocco. Recently, we’ve launched exciting new projects in Indonesia and Mexico, where we’re not only helping restore the environment but also supporting rural communities. Your tree will be planted in one of these amazing locations, making a positive impact both for nature and the people who live there.


Q) Does this initiative offset my trip?

A) This is not a carbon-based initiative and does not offset any element of your trip. 


Q) Who is planting the trees?

A) Both Flight Centre and Reforest take tree planting very seriously, and only partner with the best on-the-ground. Our partners need to be local themselves, understanding the ecology of the ecosystems and best approaches for restoring them. They know their local landscapes like the back of their hand and have strong relationships with the community.


Q) When will the trees be planted?

A) To ensure your trees survive and thrive, they need to be planted in the right place, in the right way, at the right time of year. Based on climate and rainfall, it’s a different time of year in different regions. So, depending on the location of your project, it could be next week or up to 12 months away.  


Q) Will I get notified when my tree is planted?

A) No, however, you can follow the planting journey by visiting our page here. For more information around your project, subscribe to the Reforest newsletters.


Q) How does the 2mil tree target work?

A) Between September 2023 and August 2025, we are aiming to buy 2 million trees collectively across all Flight Centre + Reforest Planting for the Planet projects. Due to seasonality, not all trees may be planted within the 12x month period but may fall into the following planting season.


Q) How will we know once we have hit 2mil trees?

A) We will update this page with how we are tracking against target.  


Q) Can I visit the trees?

A) We totally understand the desire to visit your trees – we're tree lovers too! However, some of the projects are on private land or in sensitive locations, so we can’t always guarantee public access. But don’t worry, depending on where you are based, and where the projects are located, you may be able to take part in a community planting day (at your own cost).
To find out more about community planting days that you and your customers can attend, sign up to the Reforest newsletter.


Q) How do I know that my trees are actually planted and protected?

A) Rest assured, we take the responsibility of planting and protecting the trees very seriously. Our partner, Reforest, has a strict integrity and verification process with each of the planting partners on the ground. This includes regular updates and reports with geo-tagged photos and videos showing the progress of the trees (we like to think of them as the tree's baby pictures, showing how they are growing up!). We're all about transparency and you can see these photos and receive updates on the projects by subscribing to the Reforest newsletter.


Q) What happens if a fire or other event destroys my trees?

A) Fire is a tough challenge for any reforestation project, but it’s not a reason to give up on planting trees. These projects are run by local experts who take steps to minimize fire risk, such as over-planting and selecting species that are fire and climate resilient. While we can’t guarantee that nothing will ever happen, we work hard to spread the risk across a diverse portfolio of projects and plan ahead of potential risks.

Flight Centre

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