Community program
The sanctuary belongs to everyone who cares for it.
Villanueva, Bolívar · Neighbors of the sanctuary
Conservation is neighborliness.
The tropical dry forest isn't restored from the outside: it's restored with the people who live in it. The foundation works with the community of Villanueva not as an occasional visitor but as a neighbor. This program opens its fieldwork days to anyone who wants to join, at no cost and with no barriers.
Purpose
For the residents of Villanueva to have an active connection with the sanctuary — not just as bystanders to a project happening nearby, but as participants in its care. So that knowledge about fauna, flora, and territory flows in both directions.
How to get involved
We open community days throughout the year where residents join the team on real tasks: planting native trees, monitoring wildlife, maintaining trails, feeding birds. There's an open call, and work happens in guided subgroups.
We also welcome local initiatives: if a village school, a youth group, or a women's collective wants to organize their own day, we build it together.
The forest doesn't take care of itself. It takes care of itself with its neighbors.
Logistics
Community days are free and last between half a day and a full day. They are announced in advance through WhatsApp, local networks, and in the village. The foundation provides tools, water, and a snack. Participants only need comfortable clothes, a cap, and a willingness to work.
Contribution
What gets built with the community is social fabric: neighbors who meet each other in the forest, young people who discover trades, elders who share traditional knowledge. The foundation alone cannot care for the tropical dry forest — with neighbors, it can.
Want to join the next session?
Write to us on WhatsApp and we'll let you know when we schedule the next one.