Project Qoricocha - Community Forest in the Andes of Peru [EN, ESP, NL] 

www.campesinaforestal.org
Facebook & Instagram: @campesinaforestal
Located in the Andes at an elevation of approximately 4,000metres, just a scenic hour's drive from the vibrant city of Cusco, lies the rural community of Qquencco. This community, home to around 80 Quechua families totaling about 400 individuals, currently sustains itself through subsistence agriculture and livestock practices. However, a significant portion of their 1,400-hectare land is barren, facing the threat of desertification, impacting a crucial watershed with a 110-hectare lake in the Cusco region.
Introducing the project Qoricocha, a visionary initiative aimed at establishing a sustainable community forest comprising one million trees on the ancestral lands of the Qquencco indigenous community over the next decade. The trees include native species like Queñua (Polylepis Rugulosa), Chachacomo (Escallonia Resinosa) and Aliso Andino (Alnus Acuminata) and non-invasive pine trees (Pinus Patula and Pinus Radiata).
Our overarching mission is to revitalise the land by regenerating the soil's health, enhancing water retention capacity, all while uplifting the economy of the local community through innovative practices such as agroforestry, eco-tourism, and (non) timber forest products. By restoring this landscape, we aim to create habitats for an array of wildlife, including the iconic llama, alpaca, deer, Andean fox, mountain cat, and over 60 species of birds like the Andean avocet, condor and goose.