Planting the Seeds for the Up-and-Coming 200-foot-tall Natural Towers

By Kike Calvo, Safina Center Fellow

For many, thinking about Colombia brings to mind a dangerous and difficult place—thanks in part to the chilling stories depicted in the Netflix series Narcos. But the country’s reality is far from such. Think of a nation where one-third of its land is filled with jungles. Rivers such as the Caqueta, the Putumayo, the Apaporis, or the world-renown Amazonas bring life to its inhabitants. But what if I told you this richly forested land is losing its identity; its forests? It’s true: deforestation is a serious concern to not only the wellbeing of Colombia’s unique nature, but to the very identity of the country.

Wild Colombia. Photo: The Adventures of Pili

Back in 2016, Colombia ended an armed conflict that had affected the country for more than 50 years. During that half-century, many of the protected areas were under FARC—The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—control. I started to wonder about what happens to those protected areas when conflict stops. What happens to the dozens of butterflies, to the hundreds of birds, and the thousands of tree species when there is no longer a presence that actively discouraged deforestation and resource extraction?

With no rebel forces to stop them, mining and illegal logging operations found their way to these protected areas following FARC’s disbandment. As I was thinking about writing the first of my bilingual children’s book series The Adventures of Pili, I was already aware of this situation. I clearly identified back then the need for not only inspiring and educational books focused on young generations, but the necessity of weaving into children’s bedtime stories meaningful actions they could take to positively impact their planet, our planet. 

This is how The Adventures of Pili Tree Planting Campaign was born. It’s inspired by my observations of the deforestation of many protected and ecologically rich areas, not only in Colombia but also around the world. It has not been a simple process. From vision to implementation, I’ve walked a long path and have come to see the potential of using technology as a tool to transition between vision and inspiration to action in the field. 

This past weekend, we inaugurated our fieldwork. A team of four volunteers took off to the highlands of Colombia with the mission of planting 78 wax palm saplings in the Combeima Canyon. I am sure the first questions that cross your mind as a reader is Where is Combeima Canyon? Why did you select this area in the District of Tolima in Colombia? As cattle ranchers and loggers fill the vacuum left by the insurgents, big extensions of forest are being destroyed. Conservation areas are quickly wiped out by an inattentive economic development. The background of the FARC in Colombia dates back to 1949 when Manuel Marulanda began his guerrilla career by joining a Liberal guerrilla band. Later in 1966, he became Chief of Staff of the reorganized FARC.

Forests are home to a great percentage of Colombia’s biodiversity, and also the world’s, as a matter of fact. Animals, plants, and microorganisms depend on trees. By reforesting selected areas we strive for the healing of our planet. The same way parents and teachers around the world have embraced our bilingual children's books to teach and inspire younger generations, we hope our tree-planting campaign will be joined by families and schools in communities around the world.  

It was early morning at the end of June 2020. Our team of tree-planting volunteers had not slept the night before from all the excitement and the long conversations that popped up constantly during the short night. But that was no impediment. Life in Colombia starts before sunrise. As soon as the alarm woke everyone up, the operation started. Our mission was clear: To plant 80 saplings in three different locations. After surpassing the logistic challenges due to the COVID pandemic, our team of four reached a Reserve located between 1,950 and 2,100 meters above sea level. 

Transporting tree-planting materials to the forest. Photo: The Adventures of Pili

The forest. Photo: The Adventures of Pili

The area represents a low montane humid forest ecosystem, The reserve is part of the Combeima River, on the southern slope of the “Nevado del Tolima.” This river is very important because it is the water supply of the populous and culturally significant music capital of Colombia, Ibagué. In addition, I should mention that the reserve is located in the lowlands of Los Nevados National Natural Park, so adding trees here helps strengthen the important nearby ecosystems of Los Páramos and foggy forests. Los Nevados National Natural Park is a 58,000-hectare volcanic complex that spans three Colombian districts. It is made up of three snow-covered volcanoes, Nevado del Tolima, Nevado de Santa Isabel, Nevado del Ruiz, and some small high treeless plateaus are known locally as Paramillos (Cisne, Santa Rosa, and Quindío.) 

When you carry the small wax pam saplings in your arms you cannot envision the towering height they will one day reach if they become fully developed. These palms grow as tall as 200 feet.  

Planting a wax palm sapling. Photo: The Adventures of Pili

The Palma de Cera, as it is locally known, Ceroxylon quindiuense is Colombia’s national tree. It is the largest flowering plant with an embryo that bears a single seed leaf. It’s a slow-growing species and needs more than 150 years to reach its maximum height. The palm is endangered due to deforestation and the expansion of the agricultural frontier across Colombia. In the past, the wax palm leaves intensively used in Catholic Palm Sunday celebrations. 

Planting the wax palms. Photo: The Adventures of Pili

Colombia’s populations of this species are concentrated in two small areas: One in Toche, District of Tolima, and the other in Salento, District of Quindío. As the team planted the 78 wax palm saplings in three different areas, they discussed with wonder how this plant constitutes the habitat for a wealth of diverse creatures, from insects, to mammals, to birds and more. And I would add, the endangered Yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis), a near-endemic bird from Colombia uses this plant for food and nesting materials.

Wax palm planting area. Photo: The Adventures of Pili

With the support of my Safina Center Fellowship and the help of individual supporters, now parents and teachers can take action. The Adventures of Pili Tree Planting Campaign will keep a geo-referenced logbook of all planting efforts, including information on the areas being intervened and the vegetal species selected. Not only do I hope to inspire children to keep striving toward a better world with the dual-language adventures beautifully illustrated on the pages of The Adventures of Pili, but I also hope young readers will join our mission with their loved ones to help reforest the world. We are proud to see that our focuses of cultural diversity and empowerment; global readiness and peace; entrepreneurship, and climate change have materialized as real-world action. And now you can be part of it. What are you waiting for? 

Image: The Adventures of Pili