31st October, 2024
World leaders gathered over the last two weeks in Cali, Colombia at the 16th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16), to discuss how we address the growing threat of nature loss and its devastating consequences. Together with Climate Focus and Football for Forests, we gave a group of COP16 delegates the chance to step out of the conference room and into the field to experience first-hand what forest restoration is all about.
Our partner, WCS Colombia hosted a one-day visit on Saturday 26th October to our forest restoration sites in the Rio Cali watershed, between the city and Farallones National Park. The hills surrounding the park are habitat for the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), a national conservation priority species, listed as Vulnerable by IUCN. Restoration efforts in this landscape aim to improve forest connectivity and integrity and to protect the upper watershed and biodiversity in Cali Basin as it supplies water used by over 6 million people. The area - around an hour outside Cali - is also a birding hotspot and home to several rare species including "barancero" (Andean motmot, Momotus aequatorialis).
Participants visited one of the project tree nurseries, as well as two different forest restoration sites. They met local community members leading the efforts and learned about WCS Colombia's restoration activities in the landscape, also taking part in a fun eco-game and getting the chance to plant their own sapling!
Site visitors participating in tree-planting. Clockwise from top: Charlotte Streck, Climate Focus; Lucia Schmorell, German Embassy; Rosario Uribe, Climate Focus; Jamie Gordon, WWF with Selene Torres, the project lead, and Cindi Arias of WCS Colombia. PHOTOS: Catalina Correa
This Trillion Trees project, implemented by WCS Colombia, is supported by Football for Forests, an initiative which aims to mobilise the world’s 3.5 billion football fans to help restore vital forest habitat. Fans can support forest restoration efforts by downloading the Football for Forests app, choosing their favourite team and committing a cash amount for each goal their team scores. Trillion Trees is the principal implementation partner of Football for Forests, delivering forest restoration through its partners’ country programmes, such as this project, implemented by WCS in Colombia.
Clockwise from top: The group of delegates at the restoration site; at a look-out point; view of the landscape. PHOTOS: Alexander Jaramillo.
WCS Colombia team (from left to right Jenny Jordan, Cindi Arias and Yulieth Avila) talk about planting saplings. PHOTO: Catalina Correa
You can support restoration projects like this one here:
