La Tigra 3 (Los Plancitos) reforestation site is situated in La Tigra National Park in the Francisco Morazán Department, northeast of Tegucigalpa's capital city. La Tigra National Park is central Honduras' oldest protected area, established in the 1950s. It offers benefits and environmental services to Tegucigalpa and surrounding rural communities. The site includes healthy pine and oak cloud forests and some damaged sections that must be protected and restored. Cloud forests are often found 1,000 to 2,500 meters above sea level. All year long, a layer of clouds that is at or near the canopy level distinguishes them. Cloud forest trees are often short and twisted, with fewer woody species than in drier adjacent forests.
The National Park provides a haven for diverse animal species, many of which are at risk of extinction, and a refuge for a variety of bird species. The Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) is an endangered migratory bird that spends its winter months from late June to mid-August in Honduras' pine-oak forests. The Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), a magnificent but near-threatened trogon that lives in wet evergreen and pine-evergreen forests in the Central American highlands, also nests in this location. Furthermore, the park is home to unique animals, including the endemic Honduran small-eared shrew (Cryptotis hondurensis).
The pine bark beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis, has destroyed many trees in La Tigra National Park. Additionally, forest fires are a recurring issue in Honduras, affecting not only the forests but also the urban communities surrounding them. In recent years, forest fires have spread through the buffer zone of La Tigra National Park, causing significant damage to the area's flora, fauna, and water sources. Arsonists frequently start these fires for agricultural and construction purposes.
La Tigra 3 (Los Plancitos) reforestation site encompasses two communities, Los Plancitos, home to 265 people, and Majada Seca, home to 427 people. Either the government or private individuals own the land. Reforestation in this area greatly benefits the ecosystem and promotes water security in the area.
Eden Reforestation Projects (Eden) facilitates restoration of the area by planting and protecting native mangrove species. Eden collaborates directly with communities, supporting them to rehabilitate their natural environment.
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