The TIST Model: Planting Trees, Empowering Communities 

While ecological efforts in the neighboring Amazon receive more global attention, the Gran Chaco is no less important. More than twice the size of California, it is South America’s second-largest forest. The Gran Chaco is among the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet, home to over 3,400 species of plants, 500 varieties of birds, 200

“The climate here has changed. I wish you were here four years ago. It was extremely hot. Now because of the trees we have planted here, we can see it is a bit cooler. Like now, I am under the shade of a tree, but four years ago this tree was not here. That is

“I’ve spent almost 15 years here. I work with women and men to collect plastic. Without our presence, the waste would have already overflowed onto the road and into the streets. We can recover several tons of plastic every day. Before, people would just burn the plastic instead of collecting it. But now, many have