In Barichara, Colombia, we are cultivating a regenerative learning ecosystem called Sueños del Bosque (“Dreams of the Forest"), and we are placing children at the core. Our learning ecosystem weaves regenerative education for children with their families and the greater community, enabling us to engage in reforestation of the native tropical dry forest unique to our region, engage in watershed restoration in different parts of our territory, and spread regenerative agricultural practices through our community garden program.

We currently have six full-time teachers and are able to fund workshops with locals who have knowledge of ancestral craft skills such as working with textiles, natural construction, dance, theater, pottery, art, and much more. We envision Sueños del Bosque growing into a holistic bioregional learning center (BLC) for the broader tapestry of territories that span the Northern Andes as part of Earth Regenerator's Dandelion Strategy for Birthing 1000 BLCs by 2035. In the last few years, we have established close relationships with regenerative educators in the territories of Caqueta and Putumayo in the Amazon headwaters, Medellín in the Cauca Valley, the high plains surrounding Bogota, as well as within our local territory of Santander.

In this funding round, our aim is flow the funds raised towards building a community learning center on the land that we purchased last year with partial support from the previous Ma Earth round — a very special place called Las Ruinas. The piece of land is located next to the community forest of Barichara called Bioparque Móncora and can serve as a hub for the green belt of the town. We have already created the first community educational garden on the land where children and adults come to learn about native seeds, Indigenous land practices, textile and vegetable gardening, and how to improve soils using biodynamic methods.

What we want to do now is to use permaculture principles to design and build a community learning space with off-grid design for rainwater harvesting, energy production, and composting of both food and human waste. This construction project will cost about $25,000. Additionally, we are looking for investment partners to continue to cover teaching staff and community education programs into 2027 and beyond. Any support you can offer us in this funding round will go a long way in helping us fully realize the "Dreams of the Forest."