FUNDAEC, the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences, is a nonprofit organization in Colombia that aims to empower communities for a greener future. FUNDAEC's initiative brings community members together to plant native trees to increase well-being and preserve biodiversity. As part of their 2022 “Transforming the Environment” project, they started to increase community well-being through vegetable gardens and native tree planting.

The project is a service project under the FUNDAEC program to prepare social actions with the participation of community members. Despite the constraints in some communities in terms of water supply and soil conditions, the project was well received by the community members who participated in the practical activities during the workshops.

The main focus of the project is on the welfare of the communities through the restoration of biodiversity, increasing forest areas, shade, food, more beautiful surroundings, and most importantly, gaining knowledge and understanding of how biodiversity depends on us humans today. Reforestation and gardening are slow but sustainable processes that will ultimately lead to success because they affect a large number of people.

Community members planting trees

Emilio and Caroline Join FUNDAEC's PSA Program

In May 2022, in the beautiful land of Colombia, Emilio Constantino, specialized in growing tropical fruits, and Caroline Peters, committed over the past six years to growing and planting native trees, received an invitation to join a magical journey with FUNDAEC, an organization that aimed to bring joy and happiness to marginalized communities through creating vegetable gardens and the planting of 10,000 native trees. This was no ordinary task, as it required not only the support of FUNDAEC but also the knowledge and care of every participant.

Emilio and Caroline gathered with FUNDAEC to discuss the plans and brainstorm ideas. They talked about everything from general concepts to budgets, responsibilities, and logistics. With every conversation, the project grew more exciting and full of potential. 

Who Are the Participants?

The initiative was part of FUNDAEC's Preparation for Social Action Program -PSA, so the main players were the students, tutors, coordinators, along with parents, leaders, and teachers of the communities. The project aimed to work on a national level in various Colombian departments such as Córdoba, Sucre, Atlántico, Bolivar, Cesar, Guajira, Huila, Valle and Cauca, with three workshops planned for 28 locations. And to make the journey even more special, the project included the design and support for creating plant nurseries that could produce 1,000 trees each year!

Community members in a workshop 

Also in May, a team of tree enthusiasts took a trip to the beautiful lands of Cauca, Córdoba, and Sucre in Colombia with a mission to spread the joy of tree planting. They talked with local communities about the different types of trees in the area and the perfect spots for planting. And guess what? The communities were all for it! But there was a minor limitation - a few communities faced a lack of water supply.

Workshops and Nurseries of the Project Take Roots!

June was a month full of hands-on learning for the communities in Córdoba and Sucre, as the FUNDAEC team held 3 fun and informative workshops on tree planting. In these workshops, participants got to extract seeds, prepare soil, plant seedlings, and even make their own organic fertilizers. And the best part? The team is still working hard to keep the project thriving!

In July, the FUNDAEC team held meetings in Cali to make sure all the procedures for their fantastic tree planting project were top-notch. They established regular communication between local coordinators and the directing team to keep an eye on the 3 nurseries. Their goal? To produce 50% of the trees for planting right in their own nurseries, focusing on native, endangered, and critically endangered species - many of which are fruit trees! The other 50% will be purchased from local fruit tree nurseries.

The nurseries are all doing great, with healthy trees growing tall and strong. And in July, the team put their tree-planting skills to the test with a "Minga" in Agua Azul, Villarrica, Cauca. They selected special species from local nurseries and planted them in the Native Forest, revising the spaces to make sure they fit with the overall form of the forest.

Different plant species in a local nursery

A Journey of Tree Planting in Colombia

• The project focused on planting trees in different regions of Colombia. 
• Information about tree species and prices was gathered from nurseries. 
• 2,865 trees were planted in various locations by local communities and volunteers. 
• 720 trees were planted by families and graduates from FUNDAEC organization. 
• In September, 750 trees were purchased, mainly fruit trees and trees for timber, with the goal of planting 1,500 trees. The goal was surpassed, and 1,726 trees were planted with an "adoptive parent," labeled with location, species, and responsible person. 
• 4,814 trees were planted by the end of December 2022. 
• Training was provided for students, tutors, and teachers in the communities. 
• Trees were planted, labeled with location, species, and responsible person. 
• A tree management tool is being developed with the help of Green Habitat to keep track of the trees and provide training for students, tutors, and teachers in the communities. 
• In October, 25 volunteers received tree seeds, potting bags and soil. If successful, 500 trees are expected to be ready for planting by April 2023. 
• Next phase of the project will focus on workshops in northern and southern Colombia. 

Sustaining Success: The Slow and Steady Impact of Reforestation

The planting process is bound to rainy seasons, so the activity will be resumed in April 2023 when trees may receive at least 2 months of rain. In the meantime, the team continues to hold workshops, maintain the nurseries and produce trees. They are also labeling 100 % of the trees in accordance with the goal to make each tree traceable by collecting information to feed the app, which is in progress with georeferentiation, species, height and the person or organization responsible for caring for each planted tree.

To improve communities' well-being, the project will focus on restoring biodiversity, planting more trees, providing shade and food, creating a more attractive environment, and educating people about the importance of biodiversity for our survival. The success of this project will depend on its ability to be sustained over time and the number of people it benefits. The team are determined to make the world a greener and more beautiful place, one tree at a time.