Mara Lezama Joins National Reforestation Program as Quintana Roo Plants 12,000 Trees

Caobas, Quintana Roo — Gov. Mara Lezama Espinosa joined President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo via a live video link on Sunday to launch Quintana Roo’s participation in the National Reforestation and Restoration Program, a campaign that will plant more than 12,000 trees across the state.

From the Caobas ejido, a forestry heartland in southern Quintana Roo, Lezama said four hectares will be reforested with more than 4,600 plants of endemic species, including ramón, chacteviga, ciricote and mahogany. The state-level effort involves the federal agriculture and environment secretariats, CONAGUA, CONANP, CONAFOR and Sembrando Vida program workers, alongside environmental authorities, schools and ejido residents.

“President, thank you for driving a transformation that puts nature on the well-being agenda,” Lezama said during the link. “Quintana Roo joins this vision with work, with territory and with future. Today we plant trees, but we are truly planting the future of Mexico.”

President Sheinbaum led the national ceremony in San Nicolás de los Ranchos, Puebla, where she signed a decree establishing the National Reforestation Day and swore in environmental defenders. On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Sheinbaum also honored women and men who preserve indigenous traditions and customs, and called for nationwide tree planting every second Sunday of August starting this year.

Before the live link, Lezama led the official kickoff ceremony in Quintana Roo, swearing in environmental defenders and offering special recognition to ejido members and Maya communities who have preserved the state’s forest territories for generations.

Rommel Pacheco, head of CONADE (the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport), represented President Sheinbaum at the event. He said the national reforestation campaign aims to restore 32,184 hectares by planting 6,686,390 trees across all 32 states, with the participation of all three levels of government, ejido communities, volunteers, armed forces and federal agencies.

Lezama stressed that environmental protection also has an economic and social dimension, especially for a state whose tourism depends on its natural resources, seas and beaches. She highlighted Sheinbaum’s support for Quintana Roo on issues such as sargassum and her decision to strengthen environmental protection as a state policy.

Officials accompanying the governor included Jorge Aguilar Osorio, head of SEDARPE; Oscar Rébora, head of SEMA; Rep. Saulo Aguilar Bernés; Vice Adm. José Daniel Reséndiz Sandoval, commander of the 5th Naval Region; Brig. Gen. Fidel Mondragón Rivero, commander of the 34th Military Zone; and National Guard state coordinator Brig. Gen. Sergio López Acosta.