With the onset of the rainy season, Puerto Vallarta’s municipal government will plant 5,200 two-meter-tall trees—parotas, capomos, primaveras, rosa morada, cedars, and mahogany—to offset environmental impacts from the Vía Corta highway and Hurricane Lidia, bolstering its new Tree Cities of the World certification.
With the arrival of the annual rains, Puerto Vallarta’s municipal government is set to kick off a large‐scale reforestation campaign that aims to plant 5,200 native trees between June 15 and 30. The initiative, announced by Bartolo Cruz Romero, Director of Environmental Sustainability, responds both to the ecological footprint of the Guadalajara–Puerto Vallarta short‐haul road project and to tree losses suffered during recent hurricanes.
“These aren’t saplings,” explained Cruz Romero, a biologist by training. “We’re planting specimens over two meters tall to give them the best chance of survival.” The seedlings—raised in a local nursery—comprise parotas, capomos, primaveras, rosa morada, cedars, and mahogany, species selected for their adaptability and for the ample space they require to mature into healthy forest stands.
The campaign forms part of the municipal government’s environmental compensation commitments tied to the construction of the Vía Corta highway. Cutting through the hills around Las Juntas, that project alone necessitated the felling of 257 trees—some more than 15 years old—to make way for roadbeds and access roads. “Reforesting these areas is not just an environmental duty but a moral one,” said Cruz Romero. “We owe it to our community and to future generations.”
Compounding the highway impact, Hurricane Lidia, which struck in October 2023, downed more than 350 mature trees across the municipality. “The sheer force of those winds ripped through our urban and peri-urban forests,” Cruz Romero noted. “Every tree we plant now helps restore the ecological services—shade, carbon sequestration, soil stabilization—that were lost.”
Puerto Vallarta’s reforestation push also coincides with its recent designation as a Tree City of the World for 2024, an international certification recognizing cities that meet core standards of urban forest management, including maintaining a dedicated tree board, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive inventory, and annual expenditures meeting a per-capita threshold. “Achieving Tree Cities of the World status underscores our commitment to urban forestry and sustainable growth,” said the director. “Now it’s time to turn that certification into living green assets.”
Residents, local schools, and community groups will be invited to join planting activities at parks, green corridors, and public spaces identified as high priority. “We encourage neighborhood associations to participate,” Cruz Romero urged. “Planting belt-and-road saplings is one thing; fostering a culture that cares for these trees is another.”
The species mix has been carefully chosen. Parota (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) and capomo (Bombacopsis glabra) are prized for their rapid growth and expansive canopies, while primaveras (Tabebuia rosea) and rosa morada (Tabebuia impetiginosa) add seasonal bursts of color. Native cedars (Cedrela odorata) and mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) promise long-term ecological and economic benefits, though they require vigilant care against pests and disease.
To support young trees through their critical establishment phase, the municipality will deploy drip-irrigation systems where feasible and coordinate volunteer watering brigades during dry spells. “A tree planted is only half the battle,” Cruz Romero emphasized. “Proper maintenance in the first two years makes all the difference between survival and die-off.”
Local environmental groups have praised the timing of the campaign. “Launching with the rains maximizes natural watering and boosts survival rates,” said María López of VerdeVallarta, a nonprofit dedicated to conservation education. “This project is a model for other coastal cities balancing development pressures with ecosystem resilience.”
Beyond immediate environmental gains, city officials see broader social benefits. Urban trees can mitigate heat island effects, improve air quality, and enhance residents’ well-being. “Healthy urban forests are the lungs of a city,” said Cruz Romero. “They’re integral to our vision of a greener, more liveable Puerto Vallarta.”
With the onset of the rainy season, Puerto Vallarta’s municipal government will plant 5,200 two-meter-tall trees—parotas, capomos, primaveras, rosa morada, cedars, and mahogany—to offset environmental impacts from the Vía Corta highway and Hurricane Lidia, bolstering its new Tree Cities of the World certification.
