We are proud to share a landmark achievement for conservation in Haiti, and a moment of profound significance for our team, our communities, and the country’s natural heritage.

In December 2025, the Agence Nationale des Aires Protégées (ANAP) officially renewed its five‑year management delegation contract with Haiti National Trust (HNT) and our sister foundation, Société Audubon Haïti (SAH), for the continued stewardship of Grand Bois National Park.

With this renewal, HNT/SAH remains the first and only organization in Haiti entrusted with the delegated management of a protected area, and now the first to have that mandate renewed. This decision represents far more than administrative continuity. It is a powerful vote of confidence from the Haitian government, recognition of the effectiveness, transparency, and impact of our work, and a shared commitment to safeguarding Haiti’s irreplaceable biodiversity.

Why This Renewal Matters for Haiti

Grand Bois National Park is one of Haiti’s most extraordinary ecological treasures. Nestled in the Massif de la Hotte, it shelters patches of primary forest with rare and endemic species found nowhere else on Earth, critically endangered plants, unique amphibians, and fragile forest ecosystems that protect water sources and stabilize soils for surrounding communities.

By renewing this contract, the Haitian Government affirms its commitment to long‑term biodiversity protection, its trust in HNT/SAH’s scientific and technical leadership and community‑centered approach and its belief in collaborative governance as a model for successful conservation in Haiti. This renewed partnership strengthens national conservation efforts and sets a precedent for the future management of protected areas across the country.

A Decade of Work, A Landscape Transformed

Since launching our work in Grand Bois in 2015 -and particularly following the 2020 management delegation- HNT/SAH has implemented a large‑scale ecological restoration program grounded in science and long‑term monitoring. To date, we have planted over 321,800 native and endemic species as part of our reforestation efforts, restoring over 84 hectares of forest (23% of the park), and systematically removed invasive species to reestablish ecological balance and promote natural regeneration.

These efforts are already reshaping the landscape. Native plants are recolonizing restored areas, soils are stabilizing, and wildlife -including parrots and rare reptiles- is returning to places where silence once prevailed.

One resident of Sevré, Peterson Désir, shared how restoration has changed daily life:

“Thanks to the restoration work, the rainwater no longer destroys the trails. We’ve also stopped cutting trees because we now understand the importance of protecting the park, and how it protects us in return.”

Protecting the Park, Every Day

Our forest rangers, recruited from local communities, patrol the park daily to prevent illegal tree cutting, grazing, and resource extraction. They monitor wildlife, respond to storm damage, and engage residents in environmental stewardship. Their presence has dramatically reduced threats and strengthened community co‑management.

As a resident of the Park Elizé Roberty explains:

“We had lost all the trees and birds, but thanks to the reforestation work, we’re now seeing parrots and other species return to the park. Grand Bois is coming back to life, it’s beautiful.”

Community Engagement at the Heart of Conservation

In 2025 alone, we held dozens of awareness sessions with farmers, youth, livestock owners, and local leaders. Women represent 40% of our workforce, playing essential roles in nurseries, seed collection, and restoration.

Local residents now speak proudly of the forest’s return, of clearer water, safer trails, and the reappearance of species long gone. Grand Bois is becoming a living symbol of resilience and renewal.

What the Next Five Years Mean

With this renewed mandate, HNT/SAH will expand restoration into new priority zones, strengthen scientific monitoring and research, deepen community partnerships and sustainable livelihood programs, enhance protection through improved ranger capacity and collaboration with local authorities, continue building a model of conservation rooted in transparency, science, and local leadership.

And importantly, this next chapter will be shaped in close collaboration with ANAP, whose leadership and commitment make this work possible. Their renewed trust reflects a shared vision: that Haiti’s protected areas can be models of effective governance, ecological restoration, and community empowerment. Together, we are demonstrating what is possible when national institutions and civil society work hand in hand for the common good.

This is not just a contract renewal, it is a renewed promise to Haiti’s future.

A Shared Victory

This milestone belongs to all of us: our dedicated teams, our community partners, our donors, and every person who believes in a Haiti where nature and people thrive together.

Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for believing in the power of restoration. And thank you for helping us protect one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

Together, we will continue to ensure that Grand Bois National Park lives, grows, and inspires for generations to come.