Project Background
This support from World Nomads was used towards our forest restoration and monitoring activities from January through December of 2018. Though this work is part of a long-term project, the 2018 activities were conducted and completed as planned.
They focused on:
- The propagation of saplings in our plant nursery,
- Restoration of 41 hectares of forest corridors, and
- Monitoring of a) restoration activities conducted in 2017 in 38 hectares of forest corridors and b) conservation agreements on 26 small farmers’ properties in the village of New Mexico, municipality of San Juan Nepomuceno, northern Colombia, home to wild populations of cotton-top tamarins.
Our forest restoration activities continue in 2019, with the monitoring of the 79 hectares of forest corridors restored in 2017 and 2018 in the village of New Mexico. We will also continue expanding our forest restoration and corridor work into the villages of Bajo Grande and La Espantosa where we will be restoring 120 more hectares of forest corridors this year, working with 30 small farmers.
Project Activities
Nursery propagation:
We propagated more than 26,000 saplings of 26 native tree species that provide food and/or shelter to wild cotton-top tamarins. Seeds from these trees are collected from local sources, including Proyecto Titi’s forest reserve, and cared for by our staff and local farmers until they reach proper size for planting in the forest corridors (+/- 2 feet tall).
Forest Restoration:
We planted more than 26,000 saplings propagated on our nursery to enrich the 41 hectares of forest corridor areas, based on the strategies suggested by a forest restoration plan conducted by our partner organization Fundación Ecosistemas Secos de Colombia (FESC).
Saplings were transported from the nursery to the forest corridors by burros hired from the local community. Due to the steep slopes and narrow paths, it is difficult to use any other means of transportation.
Small farmers participating in the forest restoration project teamed up in groups of four to plant the saplings in the forest corridors. This was done during the rainy season (October through December) to increase the chances of the saplings to adapt to the new soil conditions and context. Farmers received training about forest restoration practices and strategies; plant propagation management; nursery management; and environmentally-friendly farming practices. They also received compensation for their work.
Monitoring of restoration:
We hired two new staff from the local community in 2018 to conduct monitoring routines of the saplings planted in 2017 in the 38 hectares of forest corridors in New Mexico targeted for restoration. We conducted two monitoring routines, documenting survival and growth of a sample of 30% of the saplings planted.
By the end of the two monitoring routines in November of 2018, we recorded a survival rate of 82.8%, which is considered a very positive result.
In 2019, we are conducting a third monitoring routine for the 2017 plantings, and we will conduct two monitoring routines for documenting survival and growth of the 2018 plantings.
Conservation agreements:
The forest corridor restoration work is being conducted in partnership with the local offices of 1) Colombia’s National Park System which administers the Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary (the core of our forest conservation and restoration efforts in San Juan Nepomuceno), and 2) Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe (FHAC), a local NGO which leads the efforts to train and encourage local farmers to use environmentally-friendly practices.
This is done through the signing of conservation agreements in which farmers receive training and skills to increase productivity through the use of sustainable farming practices, and in turn, they designate at least 10% of their land for forest restoration and conservation.
We monitor these conservation agreements every year, and we are happy to report that by the end of 2018, we documented full compliance with the conservation agreements that protect the designated forest corridors.
What's Next?
Our forest restoration activities continue in 2019, with the monitoring of the 79 hectares of forest corridors restored in 2017 and 2018 in the village of New Mexico.
We will also continue expanding out forest restoration and corridor work into the villages of Bajo Grande and La Espantosa in which we will be restoring 120 more hectares of forest corridors this year, working with 30 small farmers.
Can I Visit the Project?
Yes, you can visit us and see firsthand Proyecto Tití’s conservation work in northern Colombia. If you are interested in visiting, please contact Rosamira Guillen, Proyecto Tití’s Executive Director at [email protected]. To set up logistics, please let us know at least one month in advance.
Project Background
Found only in the tropical forests of northern Colombia, cotton-top tamarins – a small, one-pound primate – are critically endangered due to extensive deforestation and capture for the illegal pet trade, with only around 7,000 remaining in the wild. Proyecto Tití (PT) is a non-profit organization, supported by the Wildlife Conservation Network, working to secure a long-term future for this unique monkey through field research, education, community development, and forest protection, restoration and connectivity programs.
In 2015, PT expanded to San Juan Nepomuceno (SJN) where some of the most important forest remnants still exist surrounding the Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary, a 1,000-hectare national park that is home to wild cotton-top tamarins. As part of our forest conservation program, we have established a 70-hectare reserve neighboring the wildlife sanctuary.
We have also designed a forest restoration plan and are working to create forest corridors (totalling 79 hectares) that will connect the wildlife sanctuary with surrounding isolated forest fragments, thus increasing habitat and improving genetic exchange for cotton-tops. These corridors are protected under conservation agreements with local land owners, providing them, in turn, with technical skills and supplies to increase the sustainability of their agriculture practices and thus their income.
Project Overview
These forest corridors are critical for the cotton-tops tamarins as they will allow them to expand their range (currently, only 2% of the cotton-tops’ historic range is still habitable for them!) and interbreed with other groups of cotton-tops, thus improving genetic diversity.
In 2017, we began restoring 38 of the 79 hectares of forest corridors; we are currently raising support to restore the remaining 41 hectares in 2018. Beyond the restoration itself, we also aim to monitor and document progress of the forest restoration activities and will continue working with the local land owners to keep them engaged and in compliance with the conservation agreements.
To achieve these goals, we will plant key native plant species in target areas. We will maintain the community nursery we have created, to grow the material needed for the restoration activities of the 41 hectares in 2018. Local landowners participate in the running of the nursery on monthly rotations, receiving training about the growth, propagation, and management of nursery plants. They also participate in the planting activities, which can only occur during the rainy season so that the seedlings have the best chance of survival. In 2017, over 24,000 seedlings were planted in the restoration areas (with the help of our reliable burros to access the steep hills!), and we expect to plant another 20,000 this year.
Proyecto Tití provides tools, materials, and supplies to landowners to implement restoration activities. We will keep a full-time team coordinating activities on the ground. Our staff will visit restoration areas periodically to monitor and document progress, and they will visit land owners for follow-up.
What's Covered in Project Costs
The $20,000 raised by the Footprints Network will restore over 15 hectares of habitat for cotton-tops (restoration costs about $1,300 per hectare, and we plan to begin restoration on 41 hectares in 2018).
Project Partners & Community Involvement
Our direct beneficiaries (besides the cotton-top tamarins!) are the 26 local land owners who signed conservation agreements and their families (approximately 140 people) – they are the heart and soul of this project. Additionally, we partner with a number of organizations to carry out this project, including Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe, the National Park System, and Fundación Ecosistemas Secos de Colombia.
Indirectly, the community of San Juan Nepomuceno (population 32,000) will benefit through the ecological services they receive from the Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding forest areas (i.e. provision of water and food, regulation of water cycles, cultural and scenic value).
Part of a Larger Strategy
Forest protection, restoration, and connectivity are some of the main focuses of our strategic plan and an institutional priority. We consider deforestation and fragmentation to be one of the main threats for the long-term survival of cotton-top tamarins.
In future years, we’ll continue working with these landowners to monitor compliance with the conservation agreements so that both they and the local wildlife benefit from this forest restoration work. By the end of 2019, we expect to have 79 hectares of forest corridors in an intermediate stage of restoration successfully growing, and 100% compliance with conservation agreements from the 26 land owners participating in this project. We expect to have planted over 40,000 seedlings by the end of 2018.