Envol Vert

Envol Vert starts from a simple principle, the core philosophy behind everything it does: "The forest gives us so much, let's give something back."

Envol Vert aims to rebuild a lasting connection between people and their environment, and to raise awareness of how rich and essential forests truly are. Without them, we wouldn't exist. To that end, Envol Vert also runs a significant public outreach and corporate awareness program.

To fight deforestation, Envol Vert's chosen approach is to support concrete, effective projects and local solutions carried out by communities, cooperatives, and small grassroots organizations.

The social dimension is central to Envol Vert's work. Protecting a forest means nothing if the people living alongside it aren't offered a more sustainable economic alternative to illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, or bushmeat hunting.

Envol Vert is currently involved in six forest preservation projects:

<strong>Silvopastoralism in Nicaragua</strong>
<strong>Location:</strong> Rio San Juan, Bartola, Nicaragua
<strong>Goal:</strong> This project develops more sustainable farming practices (silvopastoralism and agroforestry) to reduce deforestation and reforest parcels of land. It operates within a community of 26 families in Bartola, Nicaragua.

<strong>Macaws in Nicaragua</strong>
<strong>Location:</strong> Rio San Juan, Bartola, Nicaragua
<strong>Goal:</strong> This project raises awareness among children and local residents about the importance of macaws and almond trees, through nest monitoring, compensation for nest guardians, and school-based activities. It operates in the Municipality of Sabalo, specifically in the community of Bartola, Nicaragua.

<strong>Forest Restoration and Maya Walnut, Colombia</strong>
<strong>Location:</strong> Palomino, Sierra Nevada, Colombia
<strong>Goal:</strong> This project targets reforestation of the Sierra Nevada, one of Colombia's most iconic landscapes and a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot. It supports reforestation efforts and the creation of nurseries as an alternative to deforestation and illegal activities in the area (including logging). A particular focus is placed on the Maya Walnut, a native tree with exceptional nutritional and agricultural properties.

<strong>Maya Walnut and Sustainable Livestock, Colombia</strong>
<strong>Location:</strong> Los Limites, Bolivar/Atlantico, Colombia
<strong>Goal:</strong> Developed in partnership with landless farmers and a cattle rancher, this project facilitates the reforestation of land parcels with Maya Walnut trees, fruit trees, and hardwood trees to establish an agroforestry system. In the early years, this supports food security, and over time it transitions into a silvopastoral system. The project also aims to develop an economic alternative for landless farmers, enabling them to form a cooperative to sell products grown and processed from the Maya Walnut.

<strong>Ecotourism in the Peruvian Amazon</strong>
<strong>Location:</strong> Tarapoto, Alto Chilcayo, Cordillera Escalera, Peru
<strong>Goal:</strong> This project promotes ecotourism as an alternative livelihood to deforestation, combined with conservation activities and biodiversity restoration (forest rangers, biodiversity monitoring, habitat recreation). It is run in the Tarapoto area, in the Alto Shilcayo watershed, with a local association of around fifteen members.

<strong>Agroforestry and Coffee in Peru</strong>
<strong>Location:</strong> Pichanaki and surrounding villages, Peru
<strong>Goal:</strong> This project reforests parcels with high-value trees within coffee-growing areas to increase biodiversity, improve crop profitability, and enhance the well-being of local communities (through the creation of mobile nurseries, plantations, and more). It operates in the central Amazon region around Pichanaki, with close to 200 beneficiaries.