Why Santa Helena must be preserved
Restoring a critical biodiversity hotspot in Colombia
In the rugged landscape of northwestern Colombia lies a beautiful place called Santa Helena. This 956-acre farm ranch wasn’t always just land and trees — it was a living, breathing ecosystem. Located right next to the Los Colorados National park, Santa Helena was once home to a symphony of sounds from keel-billed toucans and yellow-eared parrots, a backdrop to the dance of countless insects on the forest floor, and a playground and refuge for over 600 species of animals.
A panoramic view of Santa Helena and the adjoining Los Colorados preserve
Such areas of natural beauty often suffer from challenges such as deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, illegal logging and land encroachment. These activities eroded the rich biodiversity that once flourished in this area, resulting in fragmented islands of land that isolate species and reduce their access to natural resources.
Santa Helena represents our future: the opportunity to reforest, restore and preserve a biodiversity region as a gift to future generations — of all species.
Along with the Los Colorados National park, the overall region surrounding Santa Helena provides home to ten critically endangered species, the most famous is the cotton-top tamarin, a tiny primate with a shock-mane of white hair, known for its playfulness, dexterity and expressive eyes.
Only found in northern Colombia, these cotton-top tamarins play a crucial role in the ecosystem by aiding in seed dispersal within the forests. They consume large seeds, even larger than those consumed by chimpanzees or baboons, which pass through their system and germinate more easily than non-consumed seeds. Unfortunately, these creatures, along with their fellow inhabitants, are running out of time and (literally) space. The reduction and fragmentation of forests have impacted their access to food, increasing territorial conflicts and their exposure to predators, leading to a significant decrease in their population.
The critically endangered cotton-top tamarin.
Keel-billed toucan
Proyecto Tití’s efforts to protect cotton-tops
Proyecto Tití (PT), a non-profit conservation organization, has been working tirelessly to protect the cotton-tops from extinction. Through PT’s efforts, the population of cotton-top tamarins is beginning to stabilize, despite the aggressive loss of habitat. PT has been leading several conservation efforts including strategically reforesting, restoring and protecting forest areas adjacent to the Los Colorados National Park. By creating new, uninterrupted and interconnected forest corridors, PT is providing nature-based solutions for the conservation of tamarin and the thousands of other species in the region. To date, PT has planted more than 120,000 native trees across 1,400 acres of former agricultural land, and plans to expand this to over 5 million new trees covering 100,000+ acres in the years ahead.
Proyecto Tití (PT), in collaboration with ReWorld, is on a mission to purchase and reforest Santa Helena Preserve to provide a more stable habitat for cotton-tops and other wildlife in northern Colombia.
PT’s long term vision is to create a single, uninterrupted, 30 km (18.6 miles) long biodiversity corridor, connecting multiple pockets of forest and ensuring the survival of its endangered inhabitants. This project holds immense significance, as it will remove a staggering 140,444 tons of carbon from the atmosphere a span of 40 years. To put this into perspective, we can erase the total carbon emissions of the British Virgin Islands, and still have enough capacity left to address the emissions of five lowest-emitting countries worldwide. In addition to the environmental benefits, this initiative also creates jobs and a sustainable income for local communities. Read more about our scientific impact calculation methods here.
This map shows the three key regions: Santa Helena (386 hectares/956 acres), Los Colorados National Park (light green), and the current land under PT’s ownership (dark green).
Deadline for action
PT has until October 1st, 2023 to raise the capital to purchase Santa Helena. We are grateful to the current owner who has generously given PT this time to confirm the purchase. If PT and ReWorld are unable to raise the funds, we risk losing the opportunity to create, preserve and protect this biodiversity hotspot forever. The consequences would be significant for the cotton-top tamarin — and for every other animal and plant species that calls Santa Helena home.
How can you become a part of the world’s first Community funded tropical forest?
At ReWorld, we present a unique opportunity for individuals worldwide to make a direct and meaningful impact on the planet’s biodiversity. Together with PT, we are building the world’s first community-funded tropical forests by allowing anyone to purchase and preserve acres of Santa Helena.
A snapshot of the Santa Helena map. Visit www.reworld.eco to learn more.
Interested? Just explore this interactive map of Santa Helena and select the acres you wish to preserve. You can even name your acres after yourself or someone you love. Everyone is welcome to become an owner, from owning 1/10th of an acre to owning hundreds of acres: every contribution brings us closer to protecting and preserving this vital habitat forever.
Follow this link to start conserving Santa Helena!
An important note on our values: At ReWorld, we believe in creating lasting impact, using rigorous science-based conservation practices and providing complete transparency to our members. We utilize scientifically backed metrics to accurately measure the impact of your contribution and deliver personal, accurate impact metrics to every member. With every contribution, you will be able to learn how much carbon you will help us remove, how many trees will be planted, how many Cotton-Top Tamarins will be protected and how much income will be generated for local communities. We are committed to ensuring that your contribution makes a measurable difference. Moreover, 100% of your donation goes directly to Proyecto Tití towards purchasing Santa Helena; ReWorld acts as a transparent facilitator and does not take any cut as an intermediary.
Join ReWorld and enhance your climate legacy.
The clock is ticking for this precious and ecologically significant area. Your support is not just about saving a piece of land — it’s about ensuring a unique ecosystem will permanently exist for all animal and plant inhabitants. It’s about leaving a legacy for the natural world, for the Cotton Top Tamarins, for Santa Helena, and for future generations. Together, let’s protect Santa Helena and keep the heartbeat of the Colombian wilderness alive.