Red Mangroves represent more than planting trees. This is the beginning of a movement by local communities in the islands near Cartagena to protect their land and understand the benefits of preserving red mangroves in their natural environment. Before the pandemic, the mangroves and surrounding shorelines were largely ignored and covered in waste and plastic. Today, the local people, mostly fishermen who were hardest hit during the pandemic, have a sense of home and a sense of belonging in these islands all thanks to the planting of red mangroves.