A group called REVIVE works to bring back mangrove forests in Veracruz, Mexico. These trees grow where land meets the sea. People cut and burned trees to make space for cattle. The ground then sank, and new trees could not grow there.
The team used a planting method like one the Aztecs used long ago. Workers built small hills of wet soil and planted about 2,000 young trees on them. Later, they counted more than 4,000 trees. Water brought other young trees into the area, and these also began to grow.
The group also brought crocodiles back to the area. Hunters had killed the crocodiles there years before. Since 2017, the team has let about 80 crocodiles go into the wild. Team members say the animals move soil as they swim and help keep paths open for water.
Crocodile expert Charlie Manolis questions whether mangrove forests need these animals to stay healthy. He says crocodiles were absent from northern Australian mangroves for decades without apparent harm. He supports protecting crocodiles, but warns that they can be dangerous. He points to education in northern Australia that taught people to live safely near them.
