Laguna San Ignacio is located within El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, a 6.2 million acre (~25 million Hectare) natural preserved area in northern Baja California Sur, Mexico. El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve is the largest wildlife refuge in Latin America and Laguna San Ignacio is the world’s last undeveloped Pacific Gray Whale breeding ground making it a highly prioritized UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In partnership with WILCOAST, SeaTrees has targeted approximately 25 acres to plant 40,000 mangrove seedlings in Laguna San Ignacio. WILDCOAST directly works with two local communities in the region to restore mangrove trees. WILDCOAST has signed an agreement with the National Commission for Protected Areas (CONANP) that supports mangrove conservation activities at a national level.

Laguna San Ignacio is heavily affected by climate change induced sea level rise. Sea level rise intensifies currents in estuaries that, in turn, generate erosion of the main channels of the lagoon. Planting of red mangroves acts as a first line of defense, reducing the chance for further habitat loss.

Mangroves provide nursery and feeding grounds for these commercially important fisheries and other wildlife. Most families in the region actively depend on the economically valuable certified sustainable fisheries in the area.