Together for the preservation of the pountry's coastal ecosystems

AES volunteers carry out reforestation and cleaning day in Los Cóbanos

June 18, 2025

Through these actions, AES El Salvador reaffirms its commitment to protecting natural resources and building a greener, more sustainable future for all Salvadorans.

For the second consecutive year, AES El Salvador's volunteer program carried out an environmental day in the Los Cóbanos Complex Protected Natural Area, located in the district of Acajutla, Municipality of Sonsonate Oeste. This time, the intervention focused on Los Lagartos beach, a coastal ecosystem of high ecological value, known for its coral reef and clear sand landscapes.

However, this protected area faces multiple environmental threats, such as forest fires, grazing, and pollution caused by visitors, factors that have contributed to its progressive deforestation.

Una voluntaria, vista desde atrás, con una gorra verde y una camiseta blanca con la palabra "VOLUNTARIO" en verde, sostiene una pequeña planta con un cepellón en primer plano. Detrás de ella, un grupo de aproximadamente seis personas, también con gorras verdes y camisetas blancas, están dispersas en un campo de tierra y hierba, algunos agachados, participando en lo que parece ser una actividad de plantación de árboles. Al fondo, hay una densa vegetación verde bajo un cielo azul brillante con algunas nubes.

In response to this situation, more than 40 volunteers from AES El Salvador, in coordination with the Zoological Foundation of El Salvador (FUNZEL), participated in a reforestation day in the "El Zope" forest and a beach cleanup in Los Lagartos.

During the activity, 640 trees of seven native species were planted with the aim of restoring nearly one hectare of the tropical dry forest, thus contributing to the recovery of this important habitat. Additionally, the volunteers collected more than 63 pounds of solid waste, including plastic bottles, disposable containers, glass, cardboard, Tetra Pak packaging, and fishing net remnants.

Tres voluntarios, dos hombres y una mujer, están de pie en un campo abierto rodeado de vegetación verde. La mujer, en el centro, sostiene una planta en un cepellón y lleva una gorra verde, lentes de sol, una camiseta blanca con el logo "aes" y jeans. Los dos hombres a sus lados, de espaldas a la cámara, visten gorras verdes y camisetas blancas que dicen "VOLUNTARIO" en verde. Uno de ellos apoya una pala de doble punta en el suelo.

"With the implementation of these practices, AES El Salvador seeks to promote environmental sustainability and raise awareness about the importance of conserving our marine ecosystems. Our goal is to leave a positive legacy for future generations," highlighted Claudia Soriano, Sustainable Impact Coordinator at AES El Salvador.

The testimonies of the volunteers reflect their commitment to this cause:

"It's a personal commitment and as an AES volunteer to contribute to environmental care. I'm proud to see all the trees we planted and know that we are making a difference," expressed Abner Hernández, an AES collaborator.

Un grupo de cinco personas, la mayoría con camisetas blancas, gorras verdes y guantes, están en una playa, recogiendo basura en bolsas de plástico azules. Se agachan y manipulan objetos del suelo. Al fondo, el océano tiene olas suaves y el cielo es visible, aunque ligeramente nublado.

"Being able to participate as a volunteer in this reforestation and cleaning day has been a fascinating experience. I'm happy to be able to contribute my grain of sand to environmental protection," added Nayheli Quevedo, also a company collaborator.

This initiative is part of the AES Environment program, one of AES El Salvador's strategic social responsibility pillars that promotes projects focused on biodiversity conservation and natural environment protection throughout the country. In 2024, as part of this program, a reforestation day was also carried out in the dry forest, within the same natural complex.

Un grupo de aproximadamente 30 personas, algunas con camisas blancas y verdes, y otras con camisas blancas y grises, se encuentran de pie en un campo abierto y ligeramente irregular. La mayoría de ellas sostienen pequeñas plantas con cepellón. Al fondo, se observa una densa zona boscosa con árboles y vegetación de color verde exuberante, dominando la mitad superior de la imagen. El cielo es de un azul claro con algunas nubes dispersas, indicando un día soleado.