NaturAmazonas, the flagship conservation program started by GTE and Conservation International, has grown into an alliance of public and private institutions working together to address the root causes of deforestation. It works to develop solutions for reversing the process, while increasing the well-being of nearby communities.

GTE’s program has grown into a joint effort between the Colombian Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, regional environmental agency, Corpoamazonia, and NGO Conservation International which oversees the project. The overall objective is to create the conditions required to protect and conserve Colombia’s Amazonia region by planting millions of trees and conserving land to restore important forested lands, helping residents live and work in greater harmony with the forest, and fostering partnerships amongst the institutions needed to effect long-term change at scale. This initiative strengthens the mechanisms needed for sustainable reforestation and large-scale conservation.

These include:

• Bringing numerous public and private institutions under an established framework to collaborate and increase their combined impact.
• Increasing knowledge of, and respect for, the value of forested areas.
• Implementing mechanisms for people and communities that reside in the area to make a sustainable living in harmony with nature. As it continues to mature, the program has begun to serve as an increasingly effective environmental offset, contributing to global climate objectives and supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

In its first six years, this USD $13 million initiative has reforested and ecologically restored over 1,400 hectares of land and has attracted additional partners interested in moving this revolutionary program forward. In 2023, Gran Tierra will extend the NaturAmazonas program another four years and continue its industry-leading reforestation which will be implemented by Conservation International.

Agroforestry Centres

The Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre in the town of Piamonte was converted and refurbished from an abandoned social site of a nearby Indigenous Inga community and is capable of growing over one million seedlings each year to support the reforestation initiative. Dozens of women from Miraflores and the surrounding areas carry out planting work at the Guayuyaco Agroforestry Centre. Cacao seedlings are spliced together to develop high quality and resilient varieties of the crop.

The Sacha Wasi Agroforestry Centre located in El Mesón, Villagarzón has a production capacity of one million seedlings per year, a total area of 8.06 hectares, and is designed with spaces to store materials, equipment and supplies. This agricultural-focused nursery includes specific areas for preparation and bagging of the substrate, irrigation, germination, management and sowing modules.

Knowledge Generation

Local residents have been hired for expeditions deep into the Piedmont, collecting and categorizing over 10,000 specimens of native plants. They are referred to as Guardians of Botanical Knowledge and they build their knowledge about the native plants and contribute to the creation of important mapping of the botanical make-up of the forest in their areas. New species of plants, have been discovered by the Guardians.

So far, 27,000 specimens have been collected and processed, 1,404 of species have been identified, two of which are new for Colombia and over 130 people have directly benefited from the project.

Botanical Health Development Through Beekeeping

Thousands of bees swarm around unprotected beekeepers, who are not concerned because these are stingless bees, native to this part of the Amazon rainforest. It had previously been illegal in Colombia to cultivate stingless bees, but Gran Tierra worked with the Colombian authorities to change the regulations to allow local people to engage in this important line of sustainable production through the company’s NaturAmazonas program. The bees pollinate plants and trees, supporting reforestation and contributing to botanical health while also producing honey for the farmers—a valuable, durable commodity with appeal in both local and national markets.

There is a high demand for stingless bee syrups, which have a number of different flavours, and keepers can also rent the bees out to local farmers for pollination, providing yet another stream of income. The association of beekeepers continues to grow, with over 300 current members having been trained and certified. In 2023, Gran Tierra extended the NaturAmazonas program another four years and continues its industry-leading reforestation which is implemented by Conservation International.

“NaturAmazonas was the best opportunity we’ve had as a conservation organization to invest in this important part of Colombia. Having exceeded its original goals, this project has now opened the doors for other funders to amplify these efforts to the whole Colombian Amazon Region. This has been absolutely massive from a conservation point of view. The multi-year investment that GTE made was very important and provides a roadmap for how other industrial companies can contribute to reforestation. ”

Jose Vicente Rodriguez Mahecha

Director of Cientifico Senior De Conservation International Colombia

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Gran Tierra believes that the protection of freshwater is an essential part of responsible oil and gas exploration and production. The Company is committed to ensure that its operations do not have an impact on groundwater and aquifers. Independent monitoring and testing have confirmed that Gran Tierra has fully safeguarded groundwater quality throughout its history of drilling operations in Colombia.

Clean water is a vital, limited resource everywhere in the world, and fundamental to healthy, thriving communities in Canada, Colombia and Ecuador. Gran Tierra’s goal is to maintain efficient and responsible water usage throughout the life cycle of its operations and to achieve zero surface water usage.

GTE implements multiple strategies to reduce the use of surface water for industrial processes. The Company has updated its existing operations and implemented new project design requirements that minimize surface water use, making significant progress towards its objective of 100%, closed-cycle production water use, meaning, any water discharged from GTE’s operations must meet high-level, internationally accepted quality standards before release.

GTE’s Water Management Program ensures its water use does not adversely impact access to water by residents and businesses in communities near its operations.

Independent Water Monitoring in Local Communities

GTE will fund additional independent water studies for local communities in Colombia and Ecuador if they want to hire their own laboratory (as long as it is certified by Colombian and Ecuadorian regulators). GTE will take its own samples and compare them with the communities’ samples, sharing the results at a community meeting.

Gran Tierra also performs rigorous environmental impact assessments of its proposed projects. An important part of GTE’s approach is being transparent about environmental practices, inviting communities to witness its activities and dispelling myths. The goal is to show communities what the company is doing, rather than just talking about it.

If you have any questions about Gran Tierra’s operations near your community, please contact us at: teescuchacolombia@grantierra.com or teescuchaecuador@grantierra.com.

“With GTE, we’ve always had a dialogue and have been able to work out any issues. It’s clear that GTE wants to show us that they have nothing to hide, and we’ve worked together very well with the company on different environmental and social initiatives.”

YURI MARCELA TORO VELEZ

Legal Representative of Campo Alegre Village

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The Costayaco Forestry Centre (CFC) is 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 ten years, the Company is very close to achieving its long-term goal of connecting the corridor to the foothills. The Centre, which was recently 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.

“As parents, our legacy is protecting the forest so our kids can have good oxygen, diversity of flora and fauna and clean water. It’s incredible what the workers at the CFC have been able to do — now we see a huge amount of trees in what used to be empty lots. The animals have come back and the monkeys go through the trees to cross the road. The CFC helped me plant trees near my home, and people are more aware of the forest here because when they come to take trees to plant, they learn not to cut trees down. For me a place like this is incredible because I’m very concerned about climate change.”

Fabio Montenegro

Member of the El Meson Vereda Community Action Board (JAC)

A Source of Seedlings

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.

Expanding the Forestry Centre Model

Located on 11 hectares in a mountainous region eight kilometres from San Martín and near the Company’s operations in the Middle Magdalena Valley, the Acordionero Forestry Centre will adopt a similar model to the CFC. It will be a focal point for the Company’s required 1% investments and compensation, as well as its voluntary efforts to address regional environmental challenges. The Centre is located between two interconnected, biodiverse forested areas, through which more than 100 bird species have been recorded travelling. While the geography and ecosystems are different from Costayaco, the location will allow the Centre, which is scheduled to open in 2024, to restore and protect a river-based water source for nearby towns.

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

The motion sensor camera and monitoring stations at the Costayaco Forestry Centre 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.

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GTE regularly hosts a variety of community-based activities to strengthen ties with communities, leaders, and institutions in the areas where Gran Tierra operates. The events cover a wide variety of topics, including operational, educational and cultural.

In 2023, more than 11,000 men, women and children participated in games, arts and crafts, theatre, dance, movie productions, and community lunches—all at events organized and hosted by GTE in collaboration with local artists. Designed to strengthen bonds with local communities, leaders, and institutions in Putumayo, Cauca, Santander, and Cesar departments, GTE In My Community (GTE En Mi Comunidad) hosted recreational and educational activities with themes that reinforced shared values, healthy coexistence, and the value of living in community.

These events are also part of Colombia’s national “Brujula” program which instills principles of personal, family, and social coexistence. Out of more than three hundred participating municipalities, the program in Rio Negro which is focused on victims of violence and has been supported by GTE, was recognized as one of the top 20 in Colombia by Colombian NGO Corporacion Juego y Ninez (Game and Childhood Corporation).

“GTE has always been a good neighbour, treating our requests seriously and never closing its doors to us. They have gone far beyond what was expected, and if it wasn’t for their support, we wouldn’t be able to carry out these projects. As a result, the quality of life here has improved a lot.”

Carolina Aguas

Former President, JAC La Banca

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Gran Tierra is committed to ensure that economic benefits flow from our operations to local businesses and communities. GTE’s Fair Bidding Process and other procurement procedures are designed to maximize opportunities for local and regional communities.

GTE’s commitment to local businesses:

• Execute all contracting processes based on both national laws and international standards.
• Share the same information with all potential bidders, including strong tender documents and clear and fair rules about the proposal process.
• Inform each vendor about the results of the bidding process, and bidders can request additional information to help them understand what they need to do to improve their chances in the future.

To learn more about our partnerships with local suppliers and vendors click here.

“Since my family started our business in 1995 as a simple transportation company, we’ve grown into other sectors, including oil transportation. Gran Tierra’s clear communications, guidance and training has helped us easily integrate with the Company, and their support has helped us improve our own processes.”

WENDY LOZADO

Legal Representative, Contranskilili

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Emprender+, GTE’s signature entrepreneurship-based social investment project, is a critical component of GTE’s efforts to address local economic challenges. For the last several years, the program has created opportunities for people to strengthen their businesses and launch new companies while bolstering local economies in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena Valley and Putumayo regions.

Emprender+ provides technical training, business management guidance, and seed capital along with recognition for innovative business ideas and execution. The program, carried out in partnership with the World Corporation for Women in Colombia (CMMC), also helps entrepreneurs navigate the technical, administrative and management challenges of operating a small business. The popularity of the program has grown steadily and rapidly from 30 to over 200 participating entrepreneurs since its inception, and over 2,000 people registered to participate since the program started in 2021. Free online training sessions were created for the additional participants who were unable to join the full program.

In 2023, all program participants received seed capital for their businesses and 79% of Emprender+ participants are women.

For more information on Emprender+ visit the program’s website here.

“The program helped me immensely with all the aspects of a small business and the support helped me grow my ice cream business. Since then, I’ve been able to expand and buy better equipment, and I hope to build my own shop someday.”

JOHANN ALVAREZ

Founder of Win Win Helados Artesanales

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