El Comandante Hernández leads ‘Tree Army’ in defense of Mexico City’s trees

Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — There’s an army taking to Mexico City’s streets — the Tree Army. And its goal is to protect and enhance Mexico City’s urban canopy. The Tree Army is an offshoot of work by a longtime activist who built up a social media following with humorous videos tackling the irritations of everyday life in the city. Arturo Hernández takes complaints about tree vandalism from his online followers and cruises the city on his skateboard looking for problems that can range from illegal cutting to people pouring concrete on a tree’s roots. When Hernández sees a situation, he summons his followers and they swing into action. That can be chipping away concrete, planting trees where there’s a need and posting videos that document illegal cutting.