{"id":2672,"date":"2026-10-02T11:33:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T18:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/latierradeljaguar.org\/?page_id=2672"},"modified":"2026-10-03T16:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T23:30:14","slug":"hurricane-polo-disaster-relief","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/latierradeljaguar.org\/es\/donation-landing\/hurricane-polo-disaster-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Rooted in Resilience: Hurricane Polo Disaster Relief"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Top Donation<\/span>\n $500.00<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n Donaci\u00f3n promedio<\/span>\n $154.41<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On September 29, the R\u00edo Sahuaripa swelled from the heavy, residual rains of Hurricane Polo, and a giant wave of water flooded our demonstration site at La Tierra del Jaguar.<\/strong> Normally, the river brings life and beauty to this land: Just days before the flood, we were surprised to find our first boa constrictor on the property. Our trail cameras often catch fun sightings of badgers and Neotropical river otters; muddy impressions of cat tracks regularly line the water\u2019s edge; and local students explore the riverbank with us on field days \u2014 where we might spot a yellow-billed cuckoo or the colorful blue grosbeak. One of the highlights of this land is how rich and fertile it is, and our <\/span>vivero <\/span><\/i>greenhouse was thriving with 30,000 baby agaves and other native plants being tended to in preparation for restoration plantings on nearby ranch lands.<\/span><\/p>

The flooding was unprecedented, unlike the remnants of any other hurricane.<\/strong> A raging river more than six feet in height reached our door just before dusk. Our friends in the small pueblo of Ponida called to warn us. They had never seen the river this big, and it was headed our way: There was not much time. Trees and branches floated by in the swift current. The water had come from upstream at Tarachi, a mountain community impacted by large wildfires earlier this year. These fires directly increased the amount of runoff we witnessed from Hurricane Polo.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Thankfully, everyone on our team is safe. We were able to gather all of our animals and get to higher ground, minus the flock of chickens who were tragically swept away.\u00a0<\/span>We are reeling having watched years of hard work and dedication collapse before our eyes.<\/strong><\/p>

We watched as the water rose and wiped out the greenhouse structure along with all of its young plants. We watched the river take years of tools and equipment we had accumulated, stored up high but not strapped down. We watched our educational materials float away and the earthen walls of the classroom be eaten by the water\u2019s force. And we watched as the water continued to climb to reach the brand new inverter and batteries that powered our solar-energy demonstration site. We know these things can be replaced, but the hardship is a heavy burden, and the cleanup that\u2019s ahead is a substantial obstacle before us.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We are nothing if not full of guts, grit, heart, and resolve.<\/strong> We have grown this nonprofit born out of a dream to help nature, promote coexistence on working lands, and to foster healthy relationships living alongside the area\u2019s wild inhabitants. We are an integral, rooted part of this community, and we are motivated by a deep desire to make a difference. We have already invested everything of our time, energy, and resources. We live on the land fulltime, and we don\u2019t come from money: \u201cOur hearts are bigger than our wallets.\u201d Everything we have was built through hard work and with caring individuals, supporters, and local residents who share our vision of thriving people and a thriving natural world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the face of such incredible, traumatic loss, so much is needed.<\/strong> We can\u2019t face this devastation alone and must call, lean on, and rally everyone who cares about the future of jaguars, wild species, wild places, and the people of this region of Sonora and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands on a larger scale. Our work is vital to increase resilience in the face of the climate crisis evidenced by wildfires, hurricanes, and the long-standing, widespread drought.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Here\u2019s what we know comes next in our post-flood response:<\/strong><\/p>