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Tecpaco is a community of around 700 people in the state of Hidalgo, central Mexico. The people largely live by farming corn, coffee, beans, and other fruits and vegetables. They have a church, a kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school in the community, and many students walk over an hour to Calnali each day to go to the high school there. The community has a very active and effective health promoter and a water system of piped spring water. However, the system only works some days and doesn't have water other days. In the times it doesn't have water the community members use three different central standpipes and haul water back to their homes.
The land around the community has become increasingly deforested due to a variety of pressures – land for cattle ranching, wood for cooking and constructing homes. Because of this loss of tree cover, the community reports springs drying up and having to go further away for spring water. Members of the community mentioned reforestation as a way to improve their water situation at a meeting organized by a local university, the UTTH which inspired Froylan to go to Tecpaco and work with the community to begin a community-based reforestation project.
