Photo: Gemima Garland-Lewis
David Borbón and his wife Ana María Peralta have planted an estimated 1.2 million mangroves near the small fishing community of Campo Delgadito over the past 12 years and may know more than anyone else about growing mangroves in desert ecosystems. Today they have a team of over 20, who are paid through a partnership with a US-based environmental services company. Their team members range in age from 19 to 60, though most are youth. “They’re the future of here, the future of Mexico, the future of everything, to continue with the mangroves,” says Peralta. When Hurricane Kay made landfall several hours north of El Delgadito in 2022, there was a lot of devastation, but an impact assessment expert from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the couple that their work likely prevented the loss of much of their community. “We have dedicated ourselves to conservation because it is very clear to me that the day mangroves end, life ends in this region,” says David.
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