In 2000, a cloud forest was unexpectedly discovered at around 1600 meters (5250 ft) altitude in the remote mountains of western Jalisco. The discovery has spurred conservationists into beginning the long work of reforestation in Mexico. The forest is filled with maple trees, which have been growing alongside giant ferns continuously for the last two million years.
Today, it is known as the Bosque de Maple de Talpa. Walking through this luxuriant, steamy, hidden jungle is a truly unforgettable experience. Could it be possible to turn a parcel of land degraded by logging and agave planting into a vibrant cloud forest like the Bosque de Maple? “That’s just what I’m hoping for,” says Mexican architect Leónides Guadarrama, who put his 9.
2-hectare tract of land called El Zapotal in Teocelo, Veracruz, into the hands of an organization called Revive Biodiversity Nursery Network in 2020. Having studied forest regeneration techniques for years — both in Mexico and around the world — the Revive team made a diagnosis of El Zapotal. “We looked upon this land as a doctor looks at a patient,” Revive Director Aníbal Ramírez told me.
“El Zapotal was in poor shape, nearly treeless, and badly eroded. We began by studying its topography, its orientation, the sunlight it receives, its plants and soil, and, of course, its water flow: Where is water captured? Where are the springs? Sadly, we learned that the output of those springs had dropped 90 to 95 per cent.” Based on .