Community members attend 30th annual Rio Reforestation event.

PHARR, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — The American Forests, Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Defenders of Wildlife hosted their 30th annual Rio Reforestation event.

This is the largest community planting event in the Rio Grande Valley, where community members and organizations gather together to plant seedlings in the Lower Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

“The role that the plants play, for the birds that migrate through here at different times of the year, is important,” said Romeo Garcia, refugee manager for the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

He added its important for children to understand the importance of the native habitat here in South Texas.

Garcia says that by having the children plant the trees themselves, they might feel some ownership over the area which he hopes encourages them to take of them as they grow.

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