NatureRe Capital

Our partner - South Pole Colombia

In late 2022, we have acquired pieces of land in the region of Antioquia, Colombia: 700 hectares with more than 60% of it in a degraded state due to cattle ranching activities. The ecosystem around is very rich and diverse, and will help achieve the natural restoration of the lands, acting as a “flora and fauna natural reserve”.

On top of letting nature do its work by sowing its seeds, NatureRe’s expert team is assisting it with a variety of soft measures, including weeding, fire prevention, vegetation perches, boundary fencing and control of invasive species. With Natural Regeneration, and specifically through the elimination of stressors (cattle, chemicals…) and implementation of fences, the ecosystem is able to recover its productivity. In areas with low regeneration potential, restoration treatment includes establishing species native to the zone, allowing for the replication of natural succession and an increase in richness.

To restore our 700 ha, we actively work with local communities, consulting with stakeholders to ensure the protection of their land and communities, as well as to ensure fair economic returns. We have hired multiple members of the local community, from rangers, to biologists, to environmental engineers.

With the support of our operational partner South Pole, we also set up workshops with village inhabitants to better understand their needs and priorities and to ensure access to information, throughout all stages of development. Raising awareness on the operations and sustainable management of forests resources, reforestation strategies and biodiversity protection is essential for capacity and knowledge building.

In 2014, we initiated a pilot project in the Chocó region of Colombia, chosen for its richness in land and biodiversity.

Together with our partner SouthPole, we carefully selected an area that was mostly degraded to apply Assisted Natural Regeneration.

In total, an area of approx. 8ha in need of restoration of a natural park (350ha) was identified, acquired and restoration processes were started. We used a variety of soft methods to help nature to what it does best: regenerate.

Seven years later, local communities can see the impact of the project: nature has regenerated, and the unique biodiversity of Colombia has flourished once again.

The upper picture shows a part of the acquired area in 2014, before we started with the process of assisted natural regeneration. The bottom picture shows the same area seven years later, in April 2021.

Colombia offers optimal conditions for investments into carbon removal projects. With roughly 25 million hectares of land suitable for commercial restoration, there is vast opportunity for investments into nature.

Colombia is listed as one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries, hosting close to 10% of the planet’s biodiversity. Worldwide, it ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies, freshwater fishes and amphibians.

Colombia is also importantly advanced in carbon regulation and shows leadership in the race against climate change. In 2021, the country upped their commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from 20% to 51% by 2030 and be net-zero by 2050.

With over 150 people already working on-site in Colombia for South Pole, we can leverage existing experience, knowledge and infrastructure to leverage the restoration potential of one of the most biodiverse countries in the world