Dune restoration and youth leadership in Yucatán

Reciclando Dunas was born from a simple but urgent realization: the dunes protecting the coast of Sisal, Yucatán, were disappearing. When we first began walking these beaches as students of Sustainable Management of Coastal Zones at UNAM, we saw erosion, invasive species, vegetation loss, and increasing pressure from tourism and coastal development. At the same time, we also saw how deeply the community depends on these ecosystems for protection, livelihoods, identity, and well-being. That connection between people and the coast is what inspired our work.

Over the past six years, Reciclando Dunas has grown into a community-based coastal restoration initiative focused on restoring and protecting dune ecosystems in the Yucatán Peninsula. Our approach combines ecological restoration with environmental education, citizen science, and community action. We propagate native dune plants, remove invasive species, monitor biodiversity, and organize restoration campaigns with local residents, schools, youth groups, researchers, and volunteers.

We believe restoration is not only about planting vegetation — it is about strengthening relationships between communities and their territory. That is why we work closely with children, youth, women, local organizations, and coastal stakeholders through workshops, field activities, and capacity-building programs that promote environmental awareness and local leadership.

In the last few years, we have helped restore more than 11 hectares of coastal dunes, transplanted thousands of native plants, and involved hundreds of community members in conservation activities. In the coming year, we aim to continue expanding restoration areas, strengthen youth leadership programs, and create new educational materials and monitoring initiatives that connect science with community knowledge.

By restoring dunes, we are not only recovering ecosystems — we are helping build more resilient coastal communities for the future.