Organización Ecológica Sol y Verde is a grassroots, regenerative and educational non-profit working in a rural and Indigenous context on the edge of the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala.
Sol y Verde’s mission is to protect and restore threatened ecosystems, by supporting climate justice, community resilience and the preservation and celebration of the Indigenous culture it is part of. Its work focuses on land-use solutions and stewardship to secure food sovereignty for vulnerable rural communities, particularly women, youth, and Indigenous groups impacted by displacement and climate change.
Its work has focused on the following areas:
- Nature restoration and agroecology – Regenerating endangered ecosystems by reforesting the jungle landscape, propagating and cultivating endangered plant species, and supporting local families to transition to regenerative agricultural practices, particularly through soil restoration and agroforestry.
- Placemaking through bioconstruction – Improving infrastructure with the local community in ways that are accessible, sustainable, and equipped to face ecological and economic challenges through natural materials that are sourced regeneratively and from agricultural land. This means that Sol y Verde almost exclusively uses local and bio-based materials, often considered as waste.
- Community support and wellbeing – Sol y Verde believes community participation is the key to securing long-term change. It provides safe and supportive spaces for women and children to learn new regenerative skills and exchange knowledge about land stewardship and ancestral medicine through practical and creative education. This helps create financial independence, develop strong local social ties and reinforces a sense of belonging.