Mayamam Weavers is proud to have donated one sapling for every order we received on the website since 2021. As we have shared here before, trees have been cut down for years to use for firewood and in wood burning stoves. Sadly, that has been very destructive to the forest and the many springs that provide water for the town.

Maya Mam Weavers cooperative is part of a community improvement group, Grupo Cajolá, that works to develop programs in the area to provide better access to health and education as well as a safe environment. One of their many projects is reforestation and we are excited to collaborate with them on this vital on-going project. 

This year, thanks to you, our customers, we are delighted to share that we were able to purchase 2,036 tree saplings. Certainly, the most important aspect of this donation is to be able to support Grupo Cajolá’s mission to care for Mother Nature, particularly to help repair the damage to the forest that cutting wood to fuel the kitchen stoves of Cajolá. However, we see that the impact on the community has been even broader.

The volunteers and members of Grupo Cajolá set out early on a Saturday morning to hike up the mountain to plant the saplings on communal land. They planted a little over a quarter of the saplings and enjoyed a picnic lunch before returning home.  

A group of preschoolers and their parents set out on a weekday. At a much slower pace, they hiked up the mountain and planted 114 saplings. What a great experience on so many levels to join their families, dig in the dirt, and take care of the earth together.

In the last few years, upon hearing of the tree plantings in the community, a couple of the local middle schools reached out to see how they could join in. Now it has also become their annual tradition to join in on the plantings. INEB, one of the schools planted 770 saplings this year!    

Respect for Mother Earth is central to the Maya Cosmovision. The earth provides for her people who in turn care for her.  At Mayamam Weavers, we are honored to contribute not only to environmental sustainability, but also to strengthening the community of Cajolá.