Mendoza, a Generation Restoration pilot city, launched a project reconnecting the city of Mendoza with the Andean foothills through ecological restoration and community stewardship. This included the establishment of a pilot restoration site at the Mountain Sports Park, and the creation of a biological corridor.

About the city

Mendoza is a city located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, in the center-west of Argentina. The Mendoza metropolitan area is home to approximately 1 million people, and it is the fourth largest city in Argentina. The Mendoza area is characterized by a temperate and arid climate, and it forms part of the Monte Desert region. The region is known for its agricultural production, in particular its many vineyards and wine production. 

Local challenges

Mendoza exhibits various challenges related to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Like many cities around the world, it is experiencing temperature increases and the urban heat island effect. At the same time, Mendoza experiences water shortages characteristic of desert regions, with water variability projected to increase with climate change. It faces light, noise, and other pollution challenges, as well as various biodiversity challenges due to increasing urbanization, such as habitat fragmentation, increase in invasive species, and loss of native flora and fauna.

Particularly in the Andean Cordillera foothills where the pilot restoration site is located, there are various challenges due to continued and rapid urbanization, including the elimination of vegetation cover, over-extraction of water, soil mismanagement, acceleration of runoff, and issues of erosion. In addition, other issues such as fires, resource extraction, clandestine open-air deposits of waste and debris, and uncontrolled sports and recreational activities put further pressure on the area.

Action through Generation Restoration

The Generation Restoration pilot project in Mendoza aimed to improve ecological connectivity and restore ecosystems, by implementing environmental restoration techniques, restoring biodiversity, enhancing ecological connectivity, and supporting key ecological processes. The project was designed using a participatory approach involving citizens throughout the decision-making processes. The overarching goal of the project aimed to improve Mendoza residents’ health, wellbeing, and connection with nature; contribute to inclusive and sustainable urbanization; and support the provision of ecosystem functions and services. To do this, the pilot project involved two principal activities for ecosystem restoration in Mendoza: the establishment of a pilot site for ecosystem restoration, and the creation of a biological corridor.

The project initiated with analysis of the territorial context of various ecosystems to identify viable sites for intervention, considering factors such as the state of the vegetation, soil health, the degree of degradation, and the degree of anthropogenic use. This involved compilation of field data collected through field trips and surveys, as well as extensive literature review of the social and ecological context. From the territorial analysis, one pilot site for restoration was selected in the Mountain Sports Park, and one pilot site for the biological corridor was selected on vacant public land within Mendoza. For each, a detailed description of the geological and climate conditions, biological characteristics, and reference levels of ecosystem health were generated.

From there, the project involved the generation of detailed restoration plans for the areas of intervention. The Mountain Sports Park, an area of 70 hectares located in the southwest of the City of Mendoza, will be restored through reclamation, rehabilitation, and restoration activities across five sub-sites, using a variety of techniques including revegetation and afforestation with native plants, soil improvement and enrichment, hydrological management, waste cleanup, removal of non-native species, and introduction of wildlife support structures such as nest boxes and perches. The location of the biological corridor was selected following analysis of vacant and green spaces within the city and their connectivity between the city and the surrounding foothills area. Preliminary design included the generation of a list of plant species for use, including potential native species from Mendoza, plants native to nearby eco-regions, and non-invasive exotic plants with low water requirements. Seedlings of the required plants were then produced in collaboration with a local nursery. 

At the same time, the pilot project involved extensive community participation and engagement. A baseline survey to ascertain current awareness levels, knowledge, and attitudes towards ecosystem restoration among stakeholder groups within the Mountain Sports Park area was administered, through surveys and questionnaires. Two focus groups were held with stakeholders, one with local community members and one with visitors to the site, to encourage knowledge sharing around the pilot sites for restoration in the park and spark further engagement. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were held with government officials and technicians to determine their level of knowledge about the Mountain Sports Park and assess personal and institutional connections to restoration work. These strategies served the dual purpose of understanding the community's level of knowledge and motivation surrounding the pilot project, while also strengthening the interest of all stakeholders for further engagement. From these efforts, a stakeholder engagement plan was developed.

The pilot project also involved various workshops to present the proposed restoration plan to key stakeholders and engage community members directly in restoration efforts. One workshop took place with representatives from different levels of government, who committed to sharing the results with their respective technical teams. A second workshop took place with key community figures, such as teachers, presidents of neighborhood associations, and sports group coaches, who also pledged to disseminate the outcomes among their peers.

Furthermore, various practical community workshops on ecosystem restoration were held. Two workshops focused on ecosystem restoration techniques, in which community members directly planted new species and removed non-native species, enabling greater community understanding of restoration and supporting species documentation. An additional two workshops focused on biological corridors, with community members engaging in planting, invasive species removal, and knowledge-raising of the importance of these areas.

Finally, numerous activities and workshops were carried out to raise community awareness about the importance of conservation and restoration, including a campaign that reached more than 2,000 people. Educational activities were carried out with a local school, during which students actively participated in the construction of birds’ nest boxes as part of a wildlife conservation initiative, and outstanding students were selected to receive specialized training to promote environmental stewardship within their school community.

Main outcomes

The pilot project involved preliminary restoration work for both a restoration site and a biological corridor within Mendoza, including detailed diagnostics, planning, and small-scale planting and invasive species removal through community workshops.

The project involved robust planning for both components, including the generation of detailed baseline data and various key technical outputs. This included environmental, biological, and social surveys of various proposed sites and detailed information about the chosen pilot site at the Mountain Sports Park. Furthermore, the project enabled the design of a biological corridor, including generating a comprehensive species list and connectivity map using Geographic Information Systems. The consideration of a variety of potential pilot sites and biological corridor locations lays the groundwork to later expand activities into these other locations within and around Mendoza. Ultimately the project resulted in detailed plans for both the Mountain Sports Park restoration site and biological corridor development.

The project deepened community and institutional engagement with ecosystem restoration within Mendoza. In particular, local knowledge contributed to project design and site selection, and practical restoration and corridor workshops engaged citizens directly, raising awareness and support of the project. 

Overall, the project integrated ecological restoration with social participation, showing how local governments, researchers, and communities can co-produce solutions. It strengthened local stewardship of degraded landscapes and established a foundation for long-term restoration governance under the city’s environmental management programs.

Highlight impact metrics

  • More than 350 people impacted by the project
  • 0.24 hectares restored, 5,234 invasive plants removed, 650 native plants planted (with 19 native species planted), 1.5 tons of debris removed, 15 bags of waste removed
  • 7 workshops held, 7 scientific/educational institutions involved

Pilot City

City Map

Partners

Ecosystem Types

Grasslands, Shrublands and Savannahs, Mountains y Urban areas

Project Budget

$70,040 USD

Project Duration

September 2024 – September 2025, with ongoing monitoring

Climate, Biodiversity, and Pollution Risks Addressed

  • Wildfires
  • Droughts
  • Habitat destruction
  • Invasive species
  • Species loss / extinction
  • Ecosystem degradation
  • Soil contamination
  • Waste mismanagement

Restoration Techniques Applied

  • Ecological connectivity
  • Erosion control
  • Invasive species control
  • Native species
  • Soil restoration
  • Tree planting
  • Waste management
  • Wildlife support

Key learnings & next steps

Key learnings of the pilot project have implications for project site selection, community engagement, and future project replication and scale-up:

  • Site selection: The choice of the restoration site at the Mountain Sports Park was guided by the presence of nearby habitats with native plant communities in good ecological condition, including shrublands, grasslands, and groves. These intact patches served as natural reference environments for restoration site design, providing a model for replication in terms of density, layout, and species composition. In addition, positioning restoration sites in close proximity to healthy patches also provides various ecological benefits, as nearby native vegetation enriches soil, there are greater chances of seed dispersal, and the restoration site can benefit from greater habitat connectivity.
  • Community engagement: It was crucial to the success of the pilot project, particularly for advancing the work at the Mountain Sports Park. The local community members showed clear enthusiasm for the project and for resolving the issues present in the area. The project provided a good opportunity to build community capacities and attitudes that will lead to ownership, not only of the project, but also of the idea of restoring, maintaining, and conserving the natural environment in general. Importantly, the combination of a community eager to participate in restoration work, coupled with a municipality that supports and drives restoration projects, is essential not just to restore ecosystems, but for those projects to be socially inclusive.
  • Project continuity: Maintaining the continuity of this pilot restoration project, with effective dissemination of the results, is important to not only sustain community interest and participation, but to support replication in other foothill areas, including in other municipalities. This can facilitate scale up actions and policy change that encompass restoration and nature-based solutions in development plans.

Moving forward, Mendoza aspires to increase involvement of project stakeholders, generating a greater sense of ownership over the project’s results and encouraging maintenance and monitoring of the restored areas. In the coming years, the project team envisions increasing the number of participants while continuing to generate spaces for action, training, and exchange of knowledge between the municipality and the project's stakeholders. More broadly, at the municipal level the team aims to institutionalize restoration within the city’s environmental services. Rather than treating restoration as a small-scale, project-based activity dependent on external funding, the municipality seeks to embed restoration into ongoing operations. Having developed foundational capacities and strengthened collaboration among government, civil society, and the private sector through the pilot project, Mendoza is now positioned to sustain and scale restoration efforts.

Meet the community

Before the project, the area near our homes was very degraded, full of trash and all the health problems that came with it. With the project, we came together as neighbors and worked with the municipality: we cleaned up the area, planted native species, and put up a sign to raise awareness about caring for the place.

Today, the space is clean, and most importantly, we all take care of it together. As we say, it is essential to protect nature so that our land does not become a desert. We believe that each of us must commit to and collaborate in caring for it.

—Pepe, a community member in Mendoza participated in a focus group workshop

My experience with the project was wonderful. I learned a lot about planting and native plants. I shared a lot with my classmates and teachers, and I would love to continue participating in this type of project.

—Violeta, a student in Mendoza who participated in a restoration workshop

Beyond Restoration

Mendoza declared a municipal climate emergency, positioning itself among the first Argentine cities to recognize climate change as a matter of urgent municipal policy. In this context, the city established the Municipal Committee of Climate Change to bring together academic, civil-society, municipal and technical actors in designing integrated climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Furthermore, the city’s Local Climate Action Plan provides a structured roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support sustainable mobility options, and integrate climate into urban planning. In this governance content, the Generation Restoration pilot project in Mendoza is embedded in a wider municipal commitment to climate-resilience, evidence-based planning, and multi-sectoral coordination.

Mendoza has also advanced mechanisms to ensure that restoration and sustainability are tied to long-term investment and innovation. For instance, Mendoza has issued labelled green and sustainable bonds to fund low-carbon infrastructure, such as the metro-tram extension, demonstrating strategic commitment to innovative climate finance instruments. Mendoza has also launched a Green Fund for Environmental Sustainability in partnership with Banco Galicia; this fund offers public calls to fund applied research, technology, and community-based sustainability projects focused on the city and its piedmont zone. 

Further resources