The Work of Endangered Rainforest Rescue

Transforming degraded land into thriving ecosystems involves a journey from initial land assessment and seed collection, progressing through growth and culminating in thoughtful planting. True biodiversity restoration demands both time and deliberate consideration.

From Seed…

Expeditions can often be a grueling process with many days spent in the rainforest searching for endangered trees. Once seeds are collected and safely brought to our nurseries, they must be properly grown and nurtured.

A landscape of a deforested area with fallen branches and small green plants on a slope, with a background of trees and a cloudy sky.
A garden bed with freshly planted seeds, surrounded by bamboo borders, and a person standing nearby with gardening tools.
A small vegetable garden with leafy greens, enclosed with a fence, and covered with a green tarp for shade, surrounded by trees and tropical plants.

Planting our seeds is always one of the most rewarding moments, as it can be up to a year after their discovery until they are in the ground. As time passes, we can visit areas we successfully reforested, where trees only three years old can tower above us.

…To Forest

A woman crouching in a dense jungle, wearing a beige uniform and cap, examining or picking something from the plants around her.

Our Mission

  • We begin all of our restoration efforts with endangered tree species. These species are foundational to building back lost biodiversity. With each tree species, there are hundreds of animals and organisms who rely upon them. In order to grow these species, we make several expeditions per year to different areas within the Darién. Once located, we map their location, take samples, and gather seeds if the season permits. These seeds are then brought back to one of our nurseries to be properly grown. When ready, seedlings are taken to nearby depleted land to begin habitat restoration.

  • Primary forests hold 70% more carbon than new forests and contain crucial biodiversity. Protecting these primal forests is essential to biodiversity restoration. When choosing land to reforest, we look for key corridors where we can connect new growth back to primary forest, ushering in a diverse array of animals, plants, and organisms.

  • Within Darien, there are two indigenous communities: the Emberá and Wounaan. Their participation in these ecosystems is vital for their survival and protection. This rainforest is not only crucial to conserve for global climate, but also for the protection of the inhabitants' cultural land and heritage. Often these communities face economic hardship and are manipulated by outside exploitation for little gain. One way we work to mitigate this is by implementing agroforestry practices in conjunction with planting native trees to generate income. In the future, we plan to establish a guaranteed system of protection for the indigenous-held forest. With an emphasis on conservation, we would offer a stipend much higher than what they’d receive through foreign exploitative practices of their land.

  • The Darién is crucial for capturing and storing carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Deforestation or degradation of this area would release stored carbon back into the atmosphere. The deforestation of this important area can lead to global temperature rise if not stopped. The Darién also plays a crucial role in the water cycle, influencing evaporation, condensation, and precipitation patterns. Altering or degrading this ecosystem can disrupt the hydrological cycle, impacting regional and possibly global climate systems.

Our Team

  • Group of people, including a woman and children, walking through a lush banana plantation, with dense greenery and banana trees around them.

    Alexandra Climent

    Endangered Rainforest Rescue - Founder & Director

  • A woman smiling while standing outdoors in a lush, green forest, holding a walking stick, and wearing colorful, traditional clothing.

    Yulieth Cansari

    Reforestation Manager

  • A man sitting on a fallen tree in a dense jungle, wearing a Smithsoninan Tropical Research Institute shirt, rain boots, and a wide-brimmed hat, surrounded by lush green foliage.

    Yenser Cansari

    Seed Collector - Citizen Biologist

  • Erasmo De Leon

    Eco Tousrism Darien - Expedition Partner

  • A woman wearing a red shirt cooking or preparing food over an open fire using a pot and a ladle, with a blurred background.

    Head Chef

  • Man in a blue shirt and gray cap using a tool to cut a tree stump in a cleared forest area with green trees in the background.

    Polo Grajales

    Nursery Manager

  • A man with a backpack and a brown cap is leaning over and examining a plant in a wooded outdoor area.

    Gustavo Zevallos

    Dynamo Travel - Translator and Expedition Partner

  • A woman and a man holding a child stand in a lush, green garden with trees and plants, surrounded by a wire fence and supported by wooden posts.

    Fernando Quintana

    Nursery Manager

  • A young boy smiling indoors with a toy figure wearing a yellow firefighter helmet, holding a small object, with a background of trees and a wooden structure.

    Javier

    Lead Smile Giver