Connecting wildlife in the Alicante River Canyon

The Nordeste and Magdalena Medio regions of Antioquia, Colombia, have unique ecosystems with great biodiversity and high potential to carry out conservation and sustainable production activities such as restoration, agroforestry, and organic cocoa and coffee cultivation. In addition, this region has a large number of sites with potential for ecotourism

The expansion of the agricultural frontier, deforestation, fauna and flora trafficking, and illegal mining have increased the pressure on endemic and threatened fauna species such as the blue-billed curassow (Crax Alberti), brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus), white-footed tamarin (Saguinus leucopus) and jaguar (Panthera onca). Manyflora species such as purpleheart (Peltogyne paniculata), cumin (Aniba perutilis), yumbé (Caryodaphnopsis cogolloi) and zamia (Zamia incognita) are also threatened.

Your help makes possible the conservation actions so that these species can continue in their habitat, as well as the sustainable development of the productive activities of the area.

• Buy Biodiversity Credits
• Protect 50 square meters of the ecosystem
• Plant trees

The project aims to protect critically endangered species such as the blue-billed curassow, which numbers less than 2,500 individuals in the wild, according to the IUCN. It works by developing productive restoration activities focused on the recovery of forests and water sources and helps improve ecosystem services and biodiversity while offering productive alternatives to communities.

The project is sustainable over time thanks to its agroforestry and silvopastoral approach with a low environmental impact and by helping local communities to diversify their economic activities. As an added value, conservation actions will promote ecotourism.

Unsatisfied economic needs and poor transportation routes to the project area have restricted the livelihood of small landowners. This has resulted in dependency on traditional agriculture, overfishing and extensive livestock grazing, activities that degrade and deforest natural ecosystems and endanger fauna and flora.

Additionally, young people with productive potential are migrating to large cities in search of better job opportunities, decreasing the workforce for traditional activities.

Through this project we provide technical support to the landowners involved in order for them to learn best practices for receiving sustainability certifications and trading their final products in more competitive and specialized markets. This will ensure more profitability and improve their quality of life via the implementation of financial, social and environmental sustainability mechanisms, such as biodiversity credits and GHG removals.

You can be part of this project and preserve our natural wealth.

• Buy Biodiversity Credits
• Protect 50 square meters of the ecosystem
• Plant trees

The project is implemented in the Integrated Management District (DRMI) of the Alicante River Canyon, a protected area with karst formations known as Montes Pepinos, where many unique species have settled. This area is home to more than 350 bird, 40 mammal, 40 reptile and amphibian, and 400 flora species.

Our biodiversity, ecological connectivity and landscape strategy is focused on forest conservation, restoration of degraded areas and implementation of sustainable activities through voluntary and mandatory compensations.

The biodiversity credits generated by the project will allow companies to offset their environmental impacts and invest in the preservation of natural capital, supporting the development of rural communities and protecting biodiversity in an effective and measurable way. contributes to the conservation of threatened flora species, such as the purpleheart, yumbé, cumin, carreto, and magnolia; and fauna species such as the blue-billed curassow, brown spider monkey, white-footed tamarin, neotropical otter and jaguar.

The project was selected as one of the pilot initiatives for the development of the Verra LandScale standard methodology. This international certification will allow promoting sustainability at a landscape level by verifying environmental, social, and economic-productive impacts, generating incentives for financing conservation activities.

Conservation and restoration: The protection of forest remnants with deforestation risks together with restoration actions for the recovery of forest areas enable ecological connectivity and genetic transit of fauna and flora populations across the region.

Cacao agroforestry: Cacao is one of the main agricultural products grown by farmers in the region. Therefore, the project seeks to provide technical advice to produce high quality, sustainable and organic cacao, setting the goal to trade the final product in more profitable markets.

Silvopastoral systems with native species: Soils and livestock productivity can be increased by combining pastures with shrubs and trees. This type of vegetation enables the exchange of soil nutrients and produces greater plant biomass, especially in the dry season, which results in greater production of meat and milk and a better breeding, therefore producing higher economic gains.

• Buy Biodiversity Credits
• Protect 50 square meters of the ecosystem
• Plant trees

●      Protection of ecosystems at risk and conservation of endemic and threatened species of fauna and flora.

●      Protection of water sources and hydrobiological species.

●      Reduction of deforestation and biodiversity loss risks due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier.

●      Increase of ecological connectivity and contribution to the conservation corridors determined by the regional environmental authority.

●      Protection and enhancement of the ecosystem services of the tropical humid forest and its biodiversity.

●      Reduction of human-induced pressure on ecosystems and natural resources.

●      Channeling of mandatory corporate compensations towards more efficient conservation mechanisms focused on the conservation priorities of the region.

●      Implementation of productive activities within a regional protected area, according to the guidelines of the environmental authority and the DRMI zoning.

●      Promotion of more competitive agricultural products with better transportation and commercialization that benefit small and medium producers.

●      Increase of food and financial security through the diversification of rural economic activities.

●      Improvement of natural resources supply through less polluting sustainable production.

●      Development of long-term community conservation projects in alignment with the local economy and sustainability principles. 

• Buy Biodiversity Credits
• Protect 50 square meters of the ecosystem
• Plant trees

(8) 63 landowners engaged with job creation.

(10) more than 8,000 people benefited in the municipality of Maceo and neighboring municipalities of the Nordeste region of Antioquia

(11) 15 settlements of the municipalities of Maceo, Yolombó and Puerto Berrío targeted for the improvement of their ecosystem services 

(13) more than 10,200 ha set aside for carrying out conservation, restoration and sustainable use activities

(15) more than 430 fauna, 400 flora species protected and net biodiversity gains

• Buy Biodiversity Credits
• Protect 50 square meters of the ecosystem
• Plant trees

• Confidence and the credibility from rural communities towards sustainable activities, nature protection and processes associated with restoration and preservation was restored.
• The Municipal mayor's office, Municipal Council, community associations and in general the inhabitants of the area, were trained around the importance of protecting nature through environmental education activities. Socialization was mainly driven by meetings, farm-to-farm awareness, local radio and social media.
• Developed and strengthened the relation with strategic actors such as the Government of Antioquia, the Municipal Mayor's Office of Maceo, the Cocoa Farmers' associations of Maceo, the Center for Biological Research, the Ministry of Tourism, Community Action Boards from the region.
• The activities generated 53 direct and indirect jobs in the urban area of the municipality of Maceo and in the area of influence of the Alicante River Canyon.

• 10,200 ha under feasibility analysis to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
• Construction of the baseline of fauna, flora, vegetation cover and ecosystems, to define and measure the net gain in biodiversity, through the mechanism: biodiversity bonds / credits.
• Implementation of silvopastoral systems with the introduction of native species such as pink guayacan (Tabebuia rosea), yellow guayacan (Handroanthus chrysanthus) and coffee walnut (Cordia alliodora), improving livestock production, animal welfare and ecological connectivity.
• Implementation of agroforestry systems of origin, fine and aroma cocoa, with the introduction of native species in pilot farms, including the construction of 2 temporary nurseries in situ, generating productive capacities for our partners.
• Among the pilot farms where the project is implemented, there are 113 ha of forest for preservation, 30 ha in the process of restoration and 7 ha destined for sustainable use activities. These farms are located in strategic areas of high biodiversity value with presence of endemic and threatened species with a high social impact.

• Buy Biodiversity Credits
• Protect 50 square meters of the ecosystem
• Plant trees