Overview: Watersheds of the 4-Corners region are among some of the most ecologically and culturally diverse regions on Earth. This region is perhaps the most culturally diverse in the United States, with Zuni, Apache, Hopi, Navajo, and rural communities with diverse communities of Latino, Anglo, Afro, and Asian origins. Despite the ecological and cultural value of the region, exotic species, poor grazing management, human development, and severe wildfires threaten its integrity.  

We believe that innovation, creativity, and imagination can result from the interaction of diverse communities throughout this region, and that this synthesis can be directed towards better conservation, green-job creation, and cultures with the ability to vision positive futures even during climate change. We do this by: 1) community participation in a field-based ecocultural restoration and educational activities with over 1 million trees planted in this region and over 3,000 students involved; 2) designing these projects considering both ecological and cultural values; 3) sharing the ecocultural restoration process among participants and the broader regional community.