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IMPACT PROMISE
Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact
Partner Snapshot
Partner
Location
Category
- Capacity Building and Training
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Land Purchases
Urgent Appeals
Date Founded
Website
Partner Qualifications
About Asociación Ecológica de San Marcos de Ocotepeque (AESMO)
Founded by citizens of San Marcos, Ocotepeque, Honduras, Asociación Ecológica de San Marcos de Ocotepeque (AESMO) began as a grassroots effort to address local environmental challenges. Since 1997, AESMO has expanded its efforts to multiple municipalities in the departments of Ocotepeque and Lempira.
AESMO operates throughout the Trifinio-Occidente Region of Honduras, working across seven municipalities in Ocotepeque and three in Lempira. Their conservation initiatives span critical ecosystems including the Güisayote and Pacayita Volcano Biological Reserves and several key watersheds such as Río Hondo, El Espinal, Cerro Negro, Nueve Pozas, Higuito, Sumpul, and Mocal. These areas feed into both the Ulúa Basin (draining into the Caribbean Sea) and the Lempa Basin (draining into the Pacific Ocean), benefiting communities in both Honduras and El Salvador.
A hallmark of AESMO’s approach is its Shared Governance Model, a pioneering framework that brings together civil society, local governments, cooperatives, private enterprise, academia, and international partners. Through this model, AESMO coordinates joint land purchases to ensure sustainable management of water, biodiversity, and soil—while also improving food security and quality of life for local families.
Their Challenges
The Trifinio region faces escalating environmental degradation driven by unplanned urbanization and agricultural expansion. These pressures are rapidly eroding forest cover, contaminating soils and water sources, and placing entire ecosystems—and the people who depend on them—at risk.
With more than 250,000 people across Honduras and El Salvador reliant on these ecosystems for clean drinking water and agriculture, the situation is urgent. The AESMO Shared Governance Model, proven effective for over two decades, offers a participatory, nature-based solution to safeguard these critical landscapes. However, the worsening impacts of climate change demand that the model be expanded to additional micro-watersheds and protected areas at both national and binational levels.
Their Approach
AESMO’s Shared Governance Model brings together diverse stakeholders—local communities, governments, NGOs, private entities, and more—to co-manage and conserve natural resources. Recognizing that environmental and socioeconomic challenges are complex and interconnected, AESMO fosters inclusive, equitable solutions that empower local communities with scientific knowledge and decision-making tools.
This democratic, participatory approach is deeply rooted in community empowerment. By aligning local priorities with sustainable development goals, AESMO supports lasting conservation outcomes while improving livelihoods. Their use of the Kaizen approach—a philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement—helps communities reduce dependence on external aid, strengthen self-sufficiency, and build resilience through nature-based action.
Why They Need Your Help
The cloud forests of the Trifinio region are rapidly vanishing. These forests are not only home to endangered wildlife, but also serve as essential water sources for over 250,000 people. Decades of deforestation have left only small fragments of healthy forest intact—and unless urgent action is taken, even these will be lost.
Your support will help AESMO:
Acquire and protect remaining forest land in collaboration with local communities
Employ five forest rangers to ensure continued protection and stewardship
Safeguard water sources for thousands of families across Honduras and El Salvador
Empower Lenca and Maya Chortí Indigenous communities through participation in co-management councils
Every donation helps preserve this critical region and protect it for future generations.