The project will restore 1,200 ha. For this, a nursery to provide native species will be established, community-based businesses will be strengthened and tourism programs will be created. In this way, national and foreign visitors will be able to connect with the Amazon forest and be part of the fight against deforestation.

The context

The pressure on ecosystems in the rural areas of Florencia, Caquetá, has increased in recent years, mainly due to the unawareness of their inhabitants about the value of the ecosystem services offered by standing forests. In addition, the regional economic crisis and overall low income, have motivated locals to transform the landscape through activities with low levels of productivity, in some cases illegal. In consequence, pasturelands have increased, impacting biodiversity negatively.

The project

Sustainable activities to be implemented:

1. Ecological restoration and preservation of natural ecosystems thanks to conservation-based incentives.
2. Establishment of the Amazon Sanctuary of Restoration nursery, where between 250,000 and 300,000 seedlings of native plant species will be propagated per year.
3. Technology transfer to strengthen regional green businesses. This will be possible through new incubation methodologies that will promote access to sustainable markets for local products and services.
4. Melipona beekeeping for pollination improvement and honey production.

The benefits

Community:

• Increased profitability of productive activities and competitiveness in the markets.
• Capacity building on sustainable entrepreneurship, marketing and green business.
• Improved ecosystem services provision.

Biodiversity:

• Recovery of soils affected by extensive livestock grazing.
• Decrease of ecosystems deforestation.
• Increase of habitats for fauna and flora species. (endemic and/or threatened)
• Increase of populations of fauna and flora species.