In Peru, Inca descendants restore forests
January 29, 2019
Project aim: Restoring the polylepis forest in the Andes with the help of the indigenous community there
Project implementation: Villagers in the region are growing saplings in tree nurseries and planting them at heights of 4000 meters (13123.36 feet)
Project partner: Peruvian NGO, the Association for Andean Ecosystems (ECOAN), which is working to protect endangered ecosystems and animals in the Andes
Project size: Polylepis reforestation is happening mainly in Peru. The plan is to plant 1 million trees in 2020. The plan is to expand the project to other Andes countries in Latin America
Project duration: The project has been running for 19 years
Each year in the Peruvian Andes, men, women, children and llamas take ancient pathways once traced by the Incas to participate in a special festival called "Queuna Raymi." Around 200 people make the trek up a mountain carrying shovels, tools and saplings for the tree-planting ceremony.
Over the past few centuries, the forests that once grew on these mountain slopes have fallen victim to land clearances for agriculture with fatal consequences, including landslides that can wash away villages. The indigenous communities there hope the tree-planting project can help restore the forest and its many benefits.
A film by Claudia Laszczak