Less smoke in the air, more green in the ground.
At Fundación Jacarandá, we focus on practical, community-led action that protects forests today and restores them for tomorrow. Our projects address the most urgent threats to Bolivia’s forests—from education and response to wildfires, to science-based reforestation, and monitoring water reserves and fire-prone areas. Each initiative is based on grassroots collaboration and inclusion, ensuring that the solutions we build are lasting, measurable, and driven by indigenous leadership.
Wet Season (November to May) — Reforestation & Urban Greening
When the rains return, we change gears: restoring degraded landscapes, expanding biodiversity and strengthening carbon sinks. Key projects include:
- Targeted reforestation of native species guided by environmental surveys in fire-affected and deforested plots.
- Urban greening in Santa Cruz de la Sierra and surrounding areas: planting native trees, shrubs and creating biodiversity-enhanced greenspaces to combat the “heat island” effect.
- Monitoring planted areas via field-surveys + citizen science to optimise survival, growth and ecosystem recovery.
Fast Fact — Carbon Storage:
According to research, the dry forest ecosystems of Bolivia deliver significant carbon-storage services. One economic-valuation study found that the region’s dry forests represent one of the highest “environmental function” values when including carbon storage.
Dry Season (June to October) — Wildfire Education & Mitigation
During the heart of the dry season in the Chiquitanía, our focus will be on empowering fire-prone communities through education, preparedness and rapid response:
- Community workshops on fire behaviour, early warning, safe slash-and-burn practices and local air-quality monitoring.
- Establishing local volunteer fire-brigades with local capacity (equipment, training, communication).
- Developing fire-break networks and coordinating with local business & citizen groups for early detection.
- Mapping “hotspot” zones in partnership with local universities & remote-sensing partners, so we prioritise high-risk villages.
Fast Fact — Fire & Carbon:
The 2024-2025 fire season in the Chiquitano & Chaco dry forest region emitted ~100 megatonnes of carbon—about six times higher than the long-term average for the region.
