In a critical move to safeguard one of the planet’s most endangered and ecologically vital regions, the U.S.-based nonprofit Saving Nature has acquired 865 acres in Colombia’s Western Andes. This newly protected stretch of cloud forest—teeming with rare wildlife and rich biodiversity—will serve as both a sanctuary and a lifeline for species threatened by deforestation, agriculture, and climate change.

Saving Nature Secures 865 Acres in Colombia’s Western Andes to Expand Critical Wildlife Habitat

 

DURHAM, N.C., April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — U.S.-based nonprofit Saving Nature has secured 865 acres in Colombia’s Western Andes—an urgent step to protect one of the most biologically rich and threatened regions on Earth. The newly acquired land includes 247 acres slated for restoration with over 16,000 native trees, and more than 600 acres of intact cloud forest that will be permanently preserved.

Expanding Wildlife Corridors

Photo: Saving Nature

This high-elevation landscape is home to an extraordinary number of endemic species, including rare orchids, endangered amphibians, and the spectacled bear—South America’s only bear species. It also provides essential wintering habitat for North American migratory birds, including the Canada Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Mourning Warbler, which travel thousands of miles to reach these forests each year.

But the survival of these species is increasingly at risk. Expanding agriculture—including the rapid growth of commercial avocado plantations—is fragmenting habitat and reducing connectivity across the landscape. Many species are now confined to isolated forest patches too small or degraded to support long-term survival. At higher elevations, where species are already living near the edge of their ecological limits, the added stress of climate change further intensifies these threats.

“Forests are vanishing, species are being pushed to the brink, and ecosystems are unraveling,” said Dr. Stuart Pimm, President of Saving Nature. “Wildlife corridors like this help stitch nature back together. By restoring habitat and reconnecting what remains, we give species a real chance to survive—and even recover—in a rapidly changing world.”

Since 2013, Saving Nature and Colombian partner Fundación Bioconservancy have worked with local communities to protect 5,407 acres and reforest hundreds more. Together, they are building a 100,000-hectare wildlife corridor in the Western Andes. This latest acquisition expands the Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve and marks another step toward reconnecting ecosystems and securing the future of one of Earth’s most vital biodiversity hotspots.

SOURCE Saving Nature

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