El Salvador's forests, many of which were damaged in the 1980s civil war, are now under threat from cattle ranchers who burn off trees to convert the land into pasture.
The Montañona forest reserve is the biggest in the northern department of Chalatenango. Not only does it help keep the air clean and healthy, but the 70 water sources in its river basin supply at least 70,000 families in nearby urban areas.
The forest conservation project here is part of the first phase of a national programme to restore ecosystems and natural landscapes, launched by the government in May 2012.
For more, read: Disaster-prone Central America shows it means business on climate legislation
