Florestania is much more than a word: it is a way of life in harmony with the forest. Born from the fusion between floresta (forest) and citizenship, it was created by the Brazilian poet Antonio Alves and spread by the emblematic Amazonian leader Chico Mendes, "florestania" represents the concept of forest citizenship, which values nature, culture and human dignity in the heart of the Amazon. Since 2015, Florestania has been working for forest regeneration and environmental education, strategically located at the intersection of urban and rural Cobija in the Bolivian Amazon, focusing its work on community capacity building and regenerative, sustainable land management in order to address pressing local social and environmental challenges, particularly food security and climate change. Each year, people from around the world come to Florestania seeking to reconnect with nature, learn, and put their hands to work for a better future. Through virtual platforms, volunteers join in to collaborate in activities such as reforestation, care for agroforestry systems, and building with natural materials. In return, they receive practical training and transformative experiences in the Amazon rainforest.
Country: Bolivia,
When did this experience begin?: 15/11/2015
At what stage is the experience currently?: It's a consolidated. established experience
Is the experience legally recognized?: Yes
Where does the experience take place?:
Name of the organization leading the experience: Asociación Civil sin fines de Lucro Florestanía
Year in which it was established: 19/06/2024
Acronym (initials) of the organization:
Logo of the organization: 
Description of the Organization: The non-profit civil association Florestanía began its trajectory in 2015. Currently, Florestanía's board of directors has 9 members, which are men and women of different ages, from 25 to 85 years old. The economic resources for the development of projects are their own, donations and come from foundations or NGOs that support specific actions. Florestania's mission is to be a reference in environmental education, sustainability and regenerative agriculture for the recovery of degraded soils in the Bolivian Amazon, raising awareness about the importance of preserving the rainforest in the face of climate change and for global food security. Florestania's vision is to create a green area at the intersection of the urban and rural areas of Cobija with a focus on environmental education, productive reforestation and ecotourism, serving as a demonstration pilot for implementation in larger areas of the Amazon.
Address of the organization's headquarters: Bajo Virtudes, calle sin nombre. Cobija, Pando, Bolivia.
Florestanía contributes to Socio-environmental Justice and Good Living because it promotes collective processes of environmental recovery, cultural strengthening and community education in historically marginalized Amazonian territories. Our approach combines scientific knowledge with ancestral knowledge, recognizing the rights of nature and local communities to live with dignity, in harmony with their environment. We are committed to regenerative practices that not only restore ecosystems, but also social, territorial and spiritual ties, fundamental for the construction of a more just, sustainable future in balance with life.
Context: Cobija, capital of the Bolivian department of Pando, is experiencing rapid population growth, which has led to significant social inequalities, such as a high poverty rate of 30%, child malnutrition of 21% (resulting in a high mortality rate of children under five) and a staggering 60% unemployment rate, with most of the work being informal. This culminates in widening gender gaps in education, employment and social development. The rural area of Cobija corresponds to a district with 15 communities and its forest area, which traditionally used to be used for rubber extraction, Brazil nut and acai collection, is being replaced at an accelerated pace by activities with high environmental impact such as agriculture and cattle ranching, accompanied by wood cutting (often illegal) and burning of vegetation to "prepare" the area for crops, promoting soil degradation. Due to the difficult accessibility of the roads (especially during the rainy season), rural communities do not have a regular solid waste collection service, so most people burn or dispose of solid waste in a corner of their property or along the road, generating contamination and unhealthy conditions. Florestanía operates at the intersection between the urban and rural areas (Bajo Virtudes community) of Cobija. The site has 5 hectares of which 1.8 hectares are already in the process of regeneration with agroforestry systems and 3.2 hectares whose vegetation is predominantly composed of secondary species (trees, shrubs) of short life cycle and some areas of Sapé grass (Imperata brasiliensis), which indicates the degraded state of the soil since its previous use was agricultural and livestock. To the northwest, the land is connected to larger areas of more mature forest (with climax species), to the north there are areas destined for agricultural and livestock activities, which are increasingly replacing forest areas, reducing natural areas that have no planning to maintain ecological corridors of connection for wildlife. To the east and southwest, the area suffers from urban pressure, mainly due to the irregular disposal of inorganic solid waste and remains of dead animals, contamination of streams, unregulated occupation of houses, most of which do not have basic sanitation and other urban services (drinking water, regular solid waste collection) and some are even located in areas intended for urban green areas, in addition to the frequent burns during the dry season.
Social Issues:
Public healthOther - Which one?
Other - Which one?: Casas sin saneamiento básico, agua o electricidad en el barrio vecino.
Cultural Issues:
Loss of cultural identityImposition of external modelsDeterioration of cultural heritage
Political Issues:
Absence of public institutionsLack of recognition of traditional authoritiesCorruptionConflictos de soberanía nacional
Economic Issues:
MonocultivantsLivestock FarmingWildlife TraffickingIllegal EconomiesDrug Trafficking
Environmental Issues:
PollutionDeforestationDegradationDroughtsFloodsDeterioration of water sourcesClimate changeForest firesDestruction of ecosystems
| Title | Unit | Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Árboles nativos sembrados desde 2016 | Trees | 1500 | Every year we plant more than 100 native trees in areas of recovering forest, such as mara, cacao, copaiba, oak... |
| Materia organica procesada por año | Tons | 90 | At Florestanía we manage our organic waste, in addition to receiving waste from chestnut processing companies, which was the main organic input to start soil recovery at the site. |
| Manual de concepción y elaboración de baño ecológico seco. | Manual produced | 1 | The manual teaches how to build a dry ecological toilet using bamboo and mud for the walls. It also teaches how to use the toilet and manage waste (urine and feces) in an ecological way that is safe for human health and the environment. Available for free online: https://books.google.com.br/books?id=7tzzEAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA1&hl=pt-BR&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false |
| Voluntarios recibidos | Persons | 130 | Volunteers who come from other countries to collaborate with Florestania's activities. |
| Visitantes en el Centro de Educación Ambiental Florestanía | Persons | 380 | Visits to the Environmental Education Center have been recorded since 2023. |
| Talleres realizados en el Centro de Educación Ambiental Florestanía | Numbers | 35 | Workshops held from October 2023 to June 2025 free of charge. |
| Certificados de reconocimiento | Certificates | 2 | The Autonomous Departmental Government of Pando has given Florestania two certificates, one for its work in biodiversity conservation and the other in the framework of places that promote ecotourism. |
| Hectáreas de pasto recuperadas | Hectareas | 2 | This area was, for many years, impacted by cattle ranching and fire. Since 2015 Florestania started to develop regenerative agroforestry systems and today that area already produces 3.2 tons of food per hectare. |
Nibs de cacao 80g
Agroforestry and agroecological cocoa nibs planted in Florestania.
70 Bolivianos
Té de cacao 100 g
Cocoa almond shells after roasting, they have a chocolate aroma and flavor and are perfect for infusion.
35 Bolivianos
Talleres de Educación Ambiental
The themes of the workshops are diverse and the language is adapted according to the audience.
Pernocte en camping
Stay at Florestania camping, experience sleeping with the sounds of the jungle and the sky full of stars. Ask us to know more about our food service with local products!
Tour guiado en Florestanía
Visit the project, the agroforestry systems, learn about our solid waste management and the ecological bath! Finally, enjoy a walk on our interpretive trail to awaken your senses in the jungle and leave refreshed!
Partners or Allied Organizations
| Organization Name | Organization Role in the Experience |
|---|---|
| Pastoral Social Caritas Departamento de Pando | Aliada |
| Fundación Socioambiental Semilla | Financiadora |
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