The Costayaco Forestry Centre

The Costayaco Forestry Centre (CFC) has become one of the most innovative reforestation efforts in South America that has grown to 335 hectares, located near the Company’s production facilities in Putumayo. Established in 2010 in coordination with regional environmental regulator Corpoamazonia, the facility has grown into a significant habitat for butterflies, birds, large felines and other wildlife.

The Centre is strategically located in an important environmental corridor connecting the Andean foothills and Amazonian Forest ecosystems, serving as a focal point for the Company’s compensatory requirements as well as many of its voluntary environmental activities. After 15 years, the Company has achieved its long-term goal of connecting the foothills to the Amazon. The Centre, which was officially designated as a protected habitat and has been replicated around the country, also serves as a hub for nearby communities, hosting educational sessions, presentations and briefings.

A Source of Seedlings for Reforestation

The Forestry Centre has cultivated hundreds of thousands of seedlings providing local communities the capability to reforest their land with native trees. Residents have begun planting seedlings on their land, which over the years had been degraded by agriculture, animal husbandry, and other industries that damaged the natural habitats and sensitive ecosystems. The Centre is located in close proximity to the Sacha Wasi nursery which has the capacity to produce over one million seedlings each year as part of NaturAmazonas.

A Space for Learning

The Forestry Centre functions as a community learning space with programming for both youth and adults. Visitors can learn about GTE’s operations and environmental stewardship activities. The Centre has welcomed government officials, scientists, community members, companies, academic institutions, students and is open to all.

Monitoring the Restoration of Animal Life

Corpoamazonia in partnership with GTE has installed over 100 cameras in the protected area surrounding the Costayaco Forestry Centre. The motion sensor cameras and monitoring stations have successfully identified 121 species of birds, 15 species of amphibians and 11 mammal species. This is a significant increase from the last wildlife monitoring program in 2016, which shows that the Company’s conservation and reforestation efforts are restoring these natural habitats and attracting wildlife back to these regions.

For example, six different feline species now call the Costayaco Forestry Centre home. This is because of a partnership between Corpoamazonia and GTE to focus specifically on wild cat conservation in the area. By establishing dedicated corridors and restoring the native canopy, this initiative ensures that these felines have interconnected habitats and the natural shelter required to thrive.

“I was here years ago when we planted seedlings about 50 centimetres tall. Today, those trees are nearly 20 metres high. Seeing a restoration area become a real forest is something you don’t forget.”

Image Gallery

Image Gallery

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