Mexico City expands community tree‑planting at Cerro de la Estrella

The Mexico City Secretariat of the Environment (SEDEMA) organized volunteer "tequios" to restore the Cerro de la Estrella protected area in Iztapalapa. Over three reforestation sessions this year, 119 volunteers planted 1,394 native trees, including tepozán, huizache, cazahuate, palo dulce and chapulixtle, across sites such as Loma Encantada, Ladera Jazmín and Barranca Jazmín.

SEDEMA aims to reach a planting target of 2,486 native specimens during the rainy season, and continues to recruit citizens via the email anp.cerrodelaestrella@gmail.com. The program also includes fire‑prevention patrols, soil conservation, biodiversity monitoring, and environmental‑education activities carried out with the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UAM) and local collectives. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to protect the urban forest that serves as a vital green lung for the capital.

The initiative underscores community involvement in urban ecosystem recovery and highlights ongoing commitments to maintain and expand the native canopy in the Cerro de la Estrella.