Forest of Hope was written, directed, and produced by an all-female team and screened at La Femme International Film Festival, a premiere film festival celebrating, supporting, and advancing content creation by women producers, writers, and directors from around the world. It was also selected for the North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival, Hot Springs International Women’s Film Festival, and the Green Film Festival.

Mary Kay served as an executive producer of the short film in partnership with The Nature Conservancy to highlight the story of Angelica, leader of Mujeres Unidas Para La Conservacion de Laguna de Sanchez, and a group of female entrepreneurs as they combat environmental challenges in the surrounding areas of the city of Monterrey.

Forest of Hope takes viewers to a small mountain town near the city of Monterrey surrounded by Cumbres National Park, a natural reserve known as “The Lungs of the Region.” It is a place where fires and clear cutting have destroyed over 30% of the forest and which is prone to other ecological challenges such as hurricanes, flooding, and issues with water supply.

Other common issues facing the area are heavy stormwater runoff that affects the urban infrastructure, local livestock, and the citizens of the community. With all of these natural setbacks, this group of women have dedicated themselves to restoring the vegetation cover and producing native tree species in nurseries to maintain the area’s environmental resiliency.

Tree planting and reforestation are proven solutions to combat climate change, water quality and quantity, biodiversity health, and human health. To date, Mary Kay has planted more than 1.2 million trees across the world. Mary Kay’s conservation work with trees is measurable and creates a lasting impact.

Mary Kay’s most recent tree report outlines three cumulative benefits to planting trees through work that has been completed in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation:

· Carbon: Planting, protecting, and managing trees absorbs carbon. As trees grow, carbon is removed from the atmosphere into trunks, roots, and branches.
。Metric Tons of CO2 Sequestered to Date: 1,115,522
· Water: Trees and forests play a vital role in water quality and quantity. Healthy trees and forests reduce soil erosion, filter stormwater and agricultural irrigation, enhance rainfall infiltration, and reduce surface runoff
。Gallons Avoided Water Runoff: 138,014,028 (equal to 1,568,341 people with clean water)
· Air: Trees produce oxygen that we breathe. In addition, trees remove air pollution by lowering air temperature, by releasing water into the atmosphere, and by filtering particulates.
。Tons of Air Pollutants Removed: 6,123

To read more about Mary Kay’s commitment to sustainability, visit marykayglobal.com/sustainability and download Mary Kay’s global sustainability strategy: Enriching Lives Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.