Restoring golden-winged warbler habitat in Colombia's central Andes
CertifiedSELVA is a non-profit organization founded in September 2009 in Colombia that generates knowledge about Neotropical biodiversity and contributes to its conservation to achieve a balance between human welfare and nature. By promoting the development of new talents and through collective learning, the organization inspires sustainable change for the integral protection of the natural world. SELVA's team of professionals has experience in leading research projects focused on biodiversity and natural resource conservation.
Guardians UK is a registered charity in England and Wales based in the London Borough of Southwark and Pulborough, West Sussex, dedicated to promoting health and healthy recreation by facilitating public access to green spaces through forest-related activities and supporting protection and regeneration of native woodland in Southeast London and West Sussex. The organization operates a tree nursery containing 1,500 native trees grown from seed or rescued from nearby lands, with the aim of planting thousands of trees across dedicated reforestation and regeneration sites throughout the UK in both urban and rural settings. Their Grange Lane Tree Rescue Hub occupies 0.8 hectares between Dulwich Wood and Grange Lane Allotments, featuring community spaces, an orchard, herb garden, and other facilities to support environmental restoration work.
This project was selected as a RestorLife Awards finalist
Project story
Background
The Central Andes Birdscape in Colombia supports populations of several steeply declining migratory landbirds of conservation concern such as the Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler and Canada Warbler. These species occur at mid-elevations within the birdscape and these same elevations also hold the greatest diversity and abundance of migratory landbirds in the Colombian Andes, with notable populations of species like Acadian Flycatcher and Mourning Warbler. Importantly, Appalachian-breeding Golden-winged Warblers, which have experienced steeper population declines relative to populations in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, spend the non-breeding season in the Andes of Colombia and Venezuela.
Since 2018, SELVA has been working in this Birdscape to enhance and protect habitats for migratory birds and threatened and endemic residents, through education, outreach and conservation orientated activities. These efforts have been focused on two main regions: the municipality of Manizales in the department of Caldas on the western slope of the Central Andes and the municipality of Libano in the department of Tolima on the eastern slope of the Central Andes. Activities have included environmental education in schools, the design of outreach materials and restoration workshops for local landowners, as well as supporting eight native tree nurseries and habitat restoration through the planting of close to 20,000 trees.
Proposed activities 2026-2027
In the next project phase (2026-2027), we propose to continue activities to restore and enhance Golden-winged Warbler habitat in the Caldas department through a community led approach, as well as restart restoration activities in Libano, building on previous project phases. As part of this effort, we will continue to build local capacity through workshops and community-led processes, based on the conviction that ecological restoration is most effective when rooted in collaborative planning and community stewardship.
Proposed activities
Habitat creation and enhancement – Alcazares-Planalto conservation corridor, Manizales
§ Continue tree planting activities at key elevations and close to sites know to be occupied by Golden-winged Warblers in the Alcazares-Planalto Corridor.
§ Plant 6,000 trees through a community-led process within participating properties in the corridor.
§ Provide technical support to tree nurseries in the corridor and facilitate the production of trees that provide favored substrates for Golden-winged Warblers and Cerulean Warblers.
§ Carry out maintenance and monitoring of trees planted under previous project phases.
§ Develop zoning plans with participating landowners as a mechanism for setting aside land for conservation.
§ Workshop to facilitate the use of a restoration application (Myfarmtrees) developed by the CIAT for monitoring trees on farms.
Habitat enhancement and creation in the Del Nevado al Rio corridor, Libano, Tolima
§ Revisit restoration plots established in 2020-21, carry out monitoring of plots and undertake additional plantings on participating properties.
§ Strengthen local nurseries and enable the production of 6,000 trees.
§ Plant 6,000 trees around the primary habitat nuclei in Libano to increase habitat availability.
Project updates
Team
Restoring golden-winged warbler habitat in Colombia's central Andes
SELVA is a non-profit organization founded in September 2009 in Colombia that generates knowledge about Neotropical biodiversity and contributes to its conservation to achieve a balance between human welfare and nature. By promoting the development of new talents and through collective learning, the organization inspires sustainable change for the integral protection of the natural world. SELVA's team of professionals has experience in leading research projects focused on biodiversity and natural resource conservation.
Guardians UK is a registered charity in England and Wales based in the London Borough of Southwark and Pulborough, West Sussex, dedicated to promoting health and healthy recreation by facilitating public access to green spaces through forest-related activities and supporting protection and regeneration of native woodland in Southeast London and West Sussex. The organization operates a tree nursery containing 1,500 native trees grown from seed or rescued from nearby lands, with the aim of planting thousands of trees across dedicated reforestation and regeneration sites throughout the UK in both urban and rural settings. Their Grange Lane Tree Rescue Hub occupies 0.8 hectares between Dulwich Wood and Grange Lane Allotments, featuring community spaces, an orchard, herb garden, and other facilities to support environmental restoration work.
This project was selected as a RestorLife Awards finalist
Project story
Background
The Central Andes Birdscape in Colombia supports populations of several steeply declining migratory landbirds of conservation concern such as the Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler and Canada Warbler. These species occur at mid-elevations within the birdscape and these same elevations also hold the greatest diversity and abundance of migratory landbirds in the Colombian Andes, with notable populations of species like Acadian Flycatcher and Mourning Warbler. Importantly, Appalachian-breeding Golden-winged Warblers, which have experienced steeper population declines relative to populations in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, spend the non-breeding season in the Andes of Colombia and Venezuela.
Since 2018, SELVA has been working in this Birdscape to enhance and protect habitats for migratory birds and threatened and endemic residents, through education, outreach and conservation orientated activities. These efforts have been focused on two main regions: the municipality of Manizales in the department of Caldas on the western slope of the Central Andes and the municipality of Libano in the department of Tolima on the eastern slope of the Central Andes. Activities have included environmental education in schools, the design of outreach materials and restoration workshops for local landowners, as well as supporting eight native tree nurseries and habitat restoration through the planting of close to 20,000 trees.
Proposed activities 2026-2027
In the next project phase (2026-2027), we propose to continue activities to restore and enhance Golden-winged Warbler habitat in the Caldas department through a community led approach, as well as restart restoration activities in Libano, building on previous project phases. As part of this effort, we will continue to build local capacity through workshops and community-led processes, based on the conviction that ecological restoration is most effective when rooted in collaborative planning and community stewardship.
Proposed activities
Habitat creation and enhancement – Alcazares-Planalto conservation corridor, Manizales
§ Continue tree planting activities at key elevations and close to sites know to be occupied by Golden-winged Warblers in the Alcazares-Planalto Corridor.
§ Plant 6,000 trees through a community-led process within participating properties in the corridor.
§ Provide technical support to tree nurseries in the corridor and facilitate the production of trees that provide favored substrates for Golden-winged Warblers and Cerulean Warblers.
§ Carry out maintenance and monitoring of trees planted under previous project phases.
§ Develop zoning plans with participating landowners as a mechanism for setting aside land for conservation.
§ Workshop to facilitate the use of a restoration application (Myfarmtrees) developed by the CIAT for monitoring trees on farms.
Habitat enhancement and creation in the Del Nevado al Rio corridor, Libano, Tolima
§ Revisit restoration plots established in 2020-21, carry out monitoring of plots and undertake additional plantings on participating properties.
§ Strengthen local nurseries and enable the production of 6,000 trees.
§ Plant 6,000 trees around the primary habitat nuclei in Libano to increase habitat availability.
Project updates
Team
Location
Colombia
Round 3
Jul 1-21, 2026
Supporting community-led nature projects around the world.
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