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Reforestation of the Andes with Accion Andina Reforestation of the Andes with Accion Andina
Deforestation in the Andes and the Amazon is a huge issue.
Andean Trails is helping to tackle the problem head on.
We’ve paid for the provision of 3,500 native polylepis trees to replant in the high Valleys of the Peruvian Andes. Local organisers and volunteers head, each year, to the local mountain range to plant locally grown polylepis saplings.
This brings great benefits to the community. The project is run locally by ECOAN (Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos), all money stays in the local economy and valleys are reforested.
There are 19 species of Polylepis native to the Peruvian Andes. They are found at altitude between 1800 and 5100 m. The mountains have suffered deforestation for firewood and industry, leaving seriously depleted ecosystems. This woodland is vital for biodiversity, carbon sink and to highland ecosystems for water regulation and soil conservation.
History of ECOAN and Accion Andina
In 2018, ECOAN (Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos) and GFC (Global Forest Generation) came together to found Acción Andina. Together they have facilitated over 20 separate projects in the high Andes. This has involved over 25,000 local people in reforesting over 5,000 hectares with Andean woodlands and protecting over 11,250 hectares of existing forest.
Over 200 local communities in the high Andes of the Cusco area have benefited. Economic prospects have improved as a result of activities such as: reforestation, forest preservation, establishment of micro-businesses, access to healthcare, installation of water collection systems, adoption of clean-burning clay stoves, use of solar panels, and formalisation of land titles.
In 2023, Acción Andina was awarded the prestigious Earthshot Prize. This award, initiated by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, recognises their efforts in addressing the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
In Peru, deforestation of the Andes and the Amazon and the loss of most of the major glaciers pose a risk of a serious shortage of water.
By working to reforest areas, Andean Trails and ECOAN hope to be able to be part of a sustainable tourism movement.
Hopefully, this will show that tourism in Peru can be run in as sustainable a way possible to ensure the amazing places we travel through can be enjoyed for many generations to come.
As important is that the local communities genuinely get to benefit from our travelling through their backyards.
Please contact us if you would like more information about how to get involved.
Testimonials
W. Kyle, USA. 4-day Inca Trail trek, Cusco and Sacred Valley, April 2025 Food was awesome, at our Cusco hotel and on the Inca trail. There were so many highlights: the way our guide explained in great detail about all the birds, plants (especially all the different orchids), in addition to his knowledge on all the ancient historical sites was quite amazing. It made the trail more like an adventure, instead of a hike. All of the people at the hotel in Cusco were very helpful, especially Kevin, who brought oxygen to my room Saturday morning when I was still having issues adjusting to the high altitude in Cusco. The other tour guides, Eddie on the walking tour of Cusco, and Mateo, who did the Sacred Valley tour were good. Andean Trails was recommended by Responsible Travel, my first contact for this adventure.
W. Kyle
» 4-Day Inca Trail Hike To Machu Picchu, Peru
D. Joselow and family, USA. Land-based Galapagos holiday, April 2025 The accommodations were great - clean, comfortable, and well located. The food was good, especially the farm lunches. We also really enjoyed the meals on the boats. The overall organization of the trip was terrific. We were a big group and everything ran as expected. We could not have felt better taken care of. Everyone was very kind and very gracious. Honestly, the entire trip was exceptional. We definitely loved the wild life, on land and on/in the water. Learning the history was also great. The Interpretation Center on St Cristóbal was small but very informative. We also loved our boat trips - Kicker Rock, Española,Tuneles. Guide Maritza is a treasure. She has great energy and a clear passion for the place. She was patient and good humored, exceptionally hard working and incredibly knowledgeable. We were told she was a last minute substitute. We sure got lucky. We didn’t know we were going to have our own private guide for the entire time. That actually made the trip and I would recommend this to anyone traveling to Galapagos. The boat crews on St Cristóbal and Isabela were kind and funny and thoughtful. We had a blast spotting dolphins and whales and other creatures. The crew members were always looking out for us and doing everything they could to make us comfortable. Everything felt very local - the farms and ceviche evening and brewery were all about our hosts. But the boats and buses and hotels and restaurants felt the same. The kids rented surf boards and had a great time talking surf with the owner. We found warmth and kindness everywhere so hopefully we did no harm and showed appropriate respect and appreciation. Honestly we can’t imagine a better trip. We would absolutely recommend the itinerary - and Andean Trails - to anyone. We chose Andean Trails because someone we know used the organization to tour the Galapagos and had a great trip. We wanted to do a land-based trip and couldn’t find another organizer who seemed to have the expertise and offered various land options. This was a pretty unusual trip for us, our first time out of the U.S as a family. We didn’t closely examine other Andean Trails offerings but would certainly recommend the group to others. I have to close by thanking you for all your help. We had lots of different questions and lots of different needs in throughout the planning. You were very patient on all of it. That made us very confident that the trip itself was going to be as wonderful as you were. It was. Thanks so, so much. This was a bucket list adventure. I am not sure how any future trip can compare.
» Galapagos Island Hopping: San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz
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