Protecting the Heart of the World 🌍✨

Around 500 years ago, when the Spaniards first arrived on the shores of what is now called the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Arhuaco were the first to meet them, facing unimaginable violence and destruction. As the invasion spread, the Arhuaco retreated higher and higher into the mountains, where they have remained ever since—peacefully preserving their culture, traditions, and sacred connection to the land despite centuries of oppression.

Today, alongside the Kogi, Wiwa, and Kankuamo, the Arhuaco continue to be the guardians of this irreplaceable ecosystem, protecting the forests, water sources, and sacred sites that sustain life.

The Threat to the Heart of the World 💔

Today, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta—recognized by the UN as one of the most irreplaceable ecosystems on Earth—is under greater threat than ever before. Deforestation, mining, and mono-cropping are suffocating the land, disrupting water cycles, and endangering both the forests and the people who have protected them for generations.

To protect the sacred forests, unique ecosystems, and the ancient peoples that have been responsibly stewarding these lands, it’s crucial to gather geospatial data. How You Can Help 🙏

We just need $250 to acquire the mapping tool that will allow us to:
📍 Identify and track vital water sources, forests, and biodiversity.
📍 Ensure that all mapping data remains in the hands of the indigenous stewards.
📍 Strengthen conservation efforts to protect this living, breathing water pump, The Heart of the World.

The mapping tool enables us to understand the landscapes and Earth’s regional systems that are at a delicate interplay in the Sierra.

Gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing this information is a vital piece of protecting and regenerating the unique ecosystems that are deemed “irreplaceable” even by the UN, as they affect global climate patterns.

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Every contribution, no matter how small, plays a direct role in safeguarding these sacred lands and supporting the Arhuaco people in their mission to protect the patrimony of humanity and all life on the planet.

🌿 Can you help us take this vital step? 🌿

Your support will be infinitely appreciated and would do SO MUCH in the work of restoring planetary health!

We thank you! The mountains thank you!

Bioregional Mapping Tools

By Sun Nation

Bioregional Mapping Tools

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Bioregional Mapping

Team Members