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Article: A mission for monarchs: masses of autumn-colored monarchs cluster together as they overwinter in Mexico. Depletion of the forest there has many concerned for the butterfly's future.(Jose Luis Alvarez)
- Article from:
- American Forests
- Article date:
- June 22, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 American Forests. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Jose Luis Alvarez insists that he is, first and foremost, a tree man. His nursery, Vivero Hacienda La Cruz, is located on one of the most fertile grounds in the central-Mexican state of Michoacan. Here, where the springs flow and the rich dark soil provides a secure bedding for seeds and seedlings, Alvarez produces thousands of trees that go towards repopulating the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Alvarez, 51, was not always a tree planter. He grew up in Juarez and spent several years abroad before returning to Mexico to settle permanently with his family. "I traveled throughout Mexico, looking for a place where I could buy a ranch," he says. "It had to have ...