Reforesting the Rio Grande Valley

LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE — Hundreds of volunteers wielded shovels against the deterioration of native habitat Saturday morning.

About 700 people turned out for Rio Reforestation, an annual project that enlists community volunteers in planting native trees on refuge land. This year, the volunteers planted trees on about 36 acres of a refuge tract that eventually will connect to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, said Nancy Brown, spokeswoman for the South Texas Refuge Complex.

“It’s an important tract because it ensures that ocelot and other wildlife will be able to migrate from Laguna Atascosa to the Lower Rio Grande Valley refuge,” Brown said.

Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of scattered parcels of land throughout the region, much of it along the Rio Grande river corridor. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has spent decades purchasing the land and restoring it to brush habitat, Brown said.

The agency relies in part on volunteers to help complete the restoration process, she said.

The volunteers planted native trees such as anacua, ebony and huisache, said James Matz, one of the project’s organizers. About 200,000 native seedlings have been planted through the years, he said.

“Anything we can do to create native habitat is positive,” he said.

Some organizers said the project has special significance to them this year because of plans to build a border fence on some of the Valley’s refuge land. Replanting trees could help offset the potential loss of habitat that could happen when the fence is built, they said.

“Volunteers have restored about 500 acres since the inception of Rio Reforestation,” Brown said. “That’s the same amount projected to be destroyed in the building of the border fence.”

Community members who participated in the project said they considered habitat restoration a worthy cause.

“We’re setting an example for our girls that we need to contribute to Earth and Mother Nature, and trees are a needed part of our ecosystem,” said Sandy Aguilar, a parent volunteer for Girl Scout Troop 181 in Rio Hondo. About 11 members of the troop participated, along with parents and family members.

“Community service is a big part of being a good citizen,” Aguilar said.