‘I felt death in the flames’: how lighting a forest fire inspired one man to transform barren ranches into rainforest | Colombia

JUan Guillermo Garcés remembers a face face with death at the age of 17. Smoke filled the air and strangled his lungs. The temperature increased and Garz is struggling to see the fog. The panic set out as it watched monkeys, snakes, lizards and birds that are trying to escape from the surrounding fire.

Garsez and his brother began the fire that almost killed them to purify a large extension of the ground. But when the wind suddenly changed the direction, they found themselves closed. The brothers survived, but the fire destroyed the remaining small correction of the eldest forests on the family farm of 2500 hectares (6,200 acres), which is located along the Majdalina River in Colombia. The experience of what animals and plants endured was a turning point for Garcés.

He says, “I felt death there in the fire.” “When you are about to burn alive, you will be aware of the destruction of the destruction it caused.”

In an attempt to back away from the damage that occurred in his youth, the 74 -year -old created the Rio Claaro Nature Reserve, an oasis of 3000 hectares (7400 acres) teeming with wildlife. Today, Garcés is protected as one of the most successful environmental protectors in Colombia.

You find many types that have fled from Garcis’s fire more than five decades ago, a shelter to the reserve, climbing in the umbrella and drinking from the deep river whose reserve was named.

It is a sign of its biological diversity in part to the marble basis on which it grows. This geological phenomenon, known as the Kartis Forest, creates conditions for unusually large numbers of rare and endemic species. The Rio Claaro basin is a home of approximately 850 species of animals and more than 3000 plants.

“More than 100 new species have been discovered in Rio Claaro … “It’s a very special place – one of the few where you can find this level of biological diversity.”

ZArcés was born in a farm family in an era that encouraged the Colombian government livestock breeders to pay the limits of expansion and “settle” the forest that appears to be unlimited. “Whoever was the first to cut the forest, whatever the first to destroy nature, will become the owner of the earth,” says Garsis.

It is likely to become a breeder as well, if not the events that changed the depth of his view of the world. One of the moment was almost alive.

Another saw the natural paradise that it did not touch near the Garzine family farm, which would soon be destroyed by the road building project.

He says: “Seeing the clarity of the river, I threw a small silver currency.” “About four meters drowned, however we never lost it.”

Garsez decided to settle the land – this time, to save it. To put his claims, he cleared a small piece of forests, cocoa, and moved to a cave on the river, where he lived for two years before building a small house. It took nearly 20 years until the government officially recognized its ownership. By that time, Garcis has completely abandoned livestock to perpetuate his life to re -move.

His method is simple. He buys plots from land farmers, often removed from pastures, and then allows them to rest. Fast hot and humid recovery in the area. Leave alone, the pastures return to the forest in decades. About 80 % of the Garcés reserves consist of lands that are redirect in this way.

To build his reserves, Garcés had to move in complicated relations with farmers, government and armed groups – each with their own interests.

The Columbion politicians have I promised to determine the priorities of nature However, in practice, the results of preservation still depend largely on the armed groups in the country. These groups sometimes push the removal of forests in the areas that control them, but they also limit them as they depend on the umbrella of the forests to hide from government forces.

The closest to the reserve is home to several armed groups. For Garcés, the risk of expanding this trend is very large. But the presence of groups kept others as well, which limits the removal of forests at the present time.

The reserve also condemns a lot of biological diversity of armed groups, who have displaced farmers, allowing the restoration of the ecosystem. The demobilization of many groups since the end of the century has brought this land to the market. Many of the farmers who have been displaced for decades were returning to return and a few of their descendants showed interest, according to Garcés. Many needed money and were excited to sell family land.

Garcés bought the largest possible land to develop its reserves and save it from investors who want to re -educate livestock. His project is funded by allocating a small portion of the land for environmental tourism.

Increasing numbers of Colombian landowners follow the progress of Garsez, Pasture In reserves. This trend may help the country to achieve international It pledges to protect 30 % of its territory By 2030, especially since most of them were privatized.

However, private reserves are still much smaller than the government -controlled. The main association of special reserves protects 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) in total, while national parks protect, in theory, more than 20 million hectares.

Special reserves also face an uncertain future after the death of its founders. Garcés is still looking for ways to protect his life legally.

He says: “I was never the owner of these forests, and I couldn’t be,” he says. “If the law allows, I will leave [the reserve] To trees, to animals. They are the real owners of this ecosystem. “

Find more Covering the era of extinction hereHe followed the correspondence of biological diversity Vepi Weston and Patrick Greenfield In the Guardian app for more nature coverage.