You helped save old-growth forest and rare plants in Columbia

Selva de Ventanas Natural Reserve is located in the most biodiverse area within the Antioquia region in Northwestern Colombia. Home to Critically Endangered species such as Handley’s Slender Mouse Opossum and the Ventanas Magnolia, this reserve safeguards vital habitat for the region’s flora and fauna, including many endemic species.

Rainforest Trust and our local partner Corporación SalvaMontes have expanded the Selva de Ventanas Natural Reserve by purchasing two neighboring parcels totaling 402 acres. This action consolidated a biological corridor that includes the largest remaining patches of well-preserved forests and higher-elevation habitat in the region.

These humid pre-montane forests feature old secondary forests with massive trees and primary forests with aged trees. The reserve is monitored with the addition of a ranger, new camera traps, and a drone.

We will support alternatives to agricultural encroachment

Fifty-six plant species endemic to Colombia are found in this landscape, several of them Critically Endangered. At least two species of orchid new-to-science are found in the reserve. The Endangered Adenobrachia Andes Frog is also present.

Agricultural expansion in the region is causing significant loss of native forest and erosion and is contaminating water resources. Illegal gold mining in the area encourages the construction of roads and access routes that accelerate the process of colonization and deforestation.

Our community solutions are critical to success

Our partner has been working with local communities on plans to consolidate the biological corridor and has been conducting environmental education programs and guided tours of the reserve. A community science program is being designed to identify alternative modes of production that will align with conservation strategies.

Our partner is also collaborating on several sustainable management plans that include implementing tax exemptions for people who protect intact forests on their properties.