High in Colombia’s cloud forests, a transformation is underway. At the meeting point of the Andes, the Caribbean plains, and the Chocó-Darién rainforest, biodiversity reaches extraordinary concentrations. But it’s also where farming practices dating back to colonial times have stripped vast stretches of land to barren, overgrazed pasture.
Fortunately a rare alignment of climate and terrain allows the ecosystem to recover faster than almost anywhere else on earth. To support restoration and permanent protection, local organisation Fundación Magnolios is steadily acquiring land to build a reserve. Together with Planet Wild, we’re adding another 53 hectares.
The land is a mix of unexplored forest and a former farm, and to restore the farm we’ll be doing… nothing! By simply giving the land space to breathe, and with wind, birds and animals carrying seeds across from the neighbouring forest, the jungle will start to return on its own terms.
Well, almost nothing. While the forest is growing, we’ll be supporting species so rare they still need a little help from us. For example the team explores the forest to find Magnolia species that are close to extinction, collects their seeds, raises them in a nursery and then replants them.
Watch the video and step into the forest to discover the species set to flourish here – including one with just 71 individuals remaining in the world.
