Pinus attenuata is a species of pine tree normally associated with the Pacific Northwest of the United States. However, 2,000 kilometers south, in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico there is an isolated coniferous forest where P. attenuata also thrives.
Led by Dr. Horacio de la Cueva, senior researcher at CICESE and Secretary of Terra Peninsular, the Attenuatas Forest Restoration project seeks to preserve this relict coniferous forest and make it more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.
The goal of the Attenuatas project is to ensure the full restoration of the forest after a 2017 fire destroyed a third of the Pinus attenuata forest. These efforts include monitoring the region alongside local university undergraduate and graduate students, as well as working with local schools and youth organizations to use this as an educational opportunity to learn about this unique ecological zone. This project has persevered in the face of the pandemic. The team has adapted to be able to continue their restoration efforts.
CICESE, Terra Peninsular
The Climate Science Alliance Binational Working Group is a climate collaboration for nature and people across the US-Mexico Border.