Riparian forests play a crucial role in regulating stream water temperatures, acting as filters for pollutants transported by runoff into water bodies, providing infiltration areas during flooding events, and contributing allochthonous materials to streams. Additionally, they offer a habitat for terrestrial taxa with aquatic larval stages and serve as spaces for cultural and spiritual practices for visitors. In the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Juan Mendez urban stream's sub-watershed has been significantly impacted by high-density development, including residential and commercial structures, car wash and mechanic businesses, wastewater discharges, and waste accumulation. However, certain sections of the riparian zone along the stream have been positively impacted by reforestation and cleanup efforts that involve the planting of native and fruit trees. The Community Garden and Urban Forest of Capetillo is a collaborative project between the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras and the local community. This initiative has transformed an abandoned lot into a productive agroforestry site, enhancing the density of native and fruit trees in the riparian zone of the Juan Mendez Stream. Over the past five years, participants have engaged in place-based citizen science and cooperative management of the urban aquatic ecosystem. Notable achievements include completing a tree inventory, a Community Bioblitz, and aquatic biomonitoring exercises. Approximately seventy new trees have been planted, promoting the development of a more diverse riparian forest. Additionally, the presence of aquatic larvae and terrestrial arthropods has been documented. While much work remains to restore the stream, the efforts to date have made a substantial impact on both the community and the local wildlife within the urban sub-watershed.