Play for the Mangroves is Seacology’s innovative program that pairs youth sports with mangrove education and conservation.
Play for the Mangroves gives underserved kids in two countries free sporting equipment and uniforms, and organizes local teams and competitions. The young people also get hands-on environmental education on field trips to their local mangrove forests. These mangrove plantings, cleanups, and other activities not only help conserver the critically important wetlands, but also serve a larger long-term purpose: helping the participants become lifelong advocates for ecosystems that are vital to their country’s future.
The program began in 2021 as part of our nationwide initiative to promote and protect mangroves in the Dominican Republic. In a country famous for its love of sports (and the many world-renowned baseball players who started their careers on modest local fields) Play for the Mangroves has been wildly popular.
Locations
Dominican Republic
The original Play for the Mangroves program has supported thousands of aspiring baseball and volleyball players and led dozens of fun events, including a footrace through one of the country’s most beautiful mangrove forests.
Philippines
In the Philippines, we’ve partnered with schools in two coastal communities. The kids there chose basketball and table tennis for their sports. We’ve worked with local schools to integrate mangrove education into their curriculum and brought the students to local wetlands for mangrove planting and cleanups.
By the numbers
As of early 2025
5,000+
participants
2
Countries hosting Play for the Mangroves programs
37
local communities participating
70+
teams organized
75+
trips and events
5,200+
jerseys, t-shirts, hats, and other uniforms and apparel provided
1,000+
baseball bats, volleyballs, basketballs, and other pieces of sports equipment delivered
5,300
mangroves planted
Why mangroves?
Mangroves—trees that grow in shallow brackish water along tropical and subtropical shorelines—offer myriad benefits to local ecology and the well-being of coastal communities:
The strong, densely tangled roots of these trees help shield coastlines by dissipating the energy of wind and waves. They create a natural barrier, fighting erosion and reducing damage to coastal infrastructure and homes.
They provide habitat and breeding grounds for fish and other marine life, supporting biodiversity, feeding people, and supporting local economies. The abundant wildlife found in mangroves can also help generate revenue from ecotourism.
Mangroves are also one of nature’s greatest carbon sinks, absorbing and sequestering more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, per acre, than any terrestrial forest.
These benefits are all the more important on islands, which often face disproportionate threats from climate-related disasters and have fewer resources to recover from them.
Learn more about mangroves and why Seacology prioritizes their protection.
A lasting impression
An independent study released in early 2025 assessed the impact of the program in the Dominican Republic. It showed that nearly two years after their involvement, Play for the Mangroves participants retained significant knowledge about mangroves, and their opinion of mangroves and broad environmental awareness had improved. And this was true not only of the participants, but of their relatives, friends, and other community members, too!
Photos
