On Colombia’s Caribbean shores stands the highest coastal mountain on earth. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a corrugated pyramid of rock that rises almost four miles high.

This ancient massif that dates back to the Jurassic period contains a microcosm of the entire planet from deserts to rainforest to glaciers with an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else. It is regarded as the planet’s single most important site for threatened and endemic biodiversity, as it boasts the highest concentration of endemic bird species in the world. As a result, the prestigious journal Science dubbed the area the “Most Irreplaceable Site on Earth” and a major priority for biodiversity conservation.

Located on the Sierra Nevada’s most vulnerable northwestern flank — less than ten miles from the city of Santa Marta — is perhaps the world’s most important nature reserve: El Dorado. Established in 2006 with Rainforest Trust support, we have helped our Colombian partner Fundación ProAves greatly expand the reserve’s protected area over the past decade, safeguarding habitat for threatened species such as the Critically Endangered Santa Marta Toro and the Santa Marta Harlequin Frog. In a final push to consolidate this crucial reserve, Rainforest Trust is seeking $668,690 to strategically acquire key properties and protect 12,179 acres to provide a safe haven for the planet’s most important biodiversity hotspot.

Following decades of uncontrolled colonization and agricultural expansion, less than 15 percent of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’s original highland forest remains intact.

Principle threats include the expansion of farms, pasturelands and coffee plantations. In addition, the construction of vacation homes in the cooler climes of the mountain poses a growing danger to the forests. Unfortunately, the area’s many endangered and endemic species are concentrated in these cooler montane forests where threats are greatest. Almost every endemic species in the massif is struggling to survive amidst the continued destruction of their habitat. Thus, deterioration of this habitat poses a critical risk of extinction for many of these species. The El Dorado Nature Reserve is the only strictly protected area in the region, but its protection has been repeatedly challenged by neighboring landowners wanting to encroach on the reserve and develop housing. This project will greatly step up protective measures to not only protect against challenges but also expand the area under protection.

Rainforest Trust and local partner are seeking $668,690 to expand the El Dorado Nature Reserve by purchasing key properties and protecting a 12,179-acre sanctuary in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

With rampant deforestation placing this biodiversity jewel at tremendous risk, our partner has surveyed the landscape to locate the most critical areas for endemic and endangered flora and fauna. These are the areas that will be urgently protected in perpetuity. In addition, a multifaceted conservation program has been implemented that includes reserve protection, eradication of invasive and non-native Mexican pines, a massive habitat restoration program and installing nest-boxes to help the Santa Marta Parakeet populations rebound. The ongoing expansion of the reserve is critical to safeguard the area’s wildlife. The new 12,179-acre sanctuary will safeguard the future of countless endangered species that depend on this unique area for their survival.