In 2024, we launched one of our most ambitious conservation initiatives yet: the creation of a Mega Corridor that will connect the forests Los Tities de San Juan Forest Reserve of the Cerro Maco region in Bolívar with the Coraza Nature Reserve in Sucre - linking landscapes from San Juan to Colosó. This project builds on decades of experience protecting and restoring habitat for the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin, and it represents a bold step toward conservation at scale: interconnected forests where wildlife thrives alongside local communities.

Phase One: Growing the Future in Colosó 

The first phase of the Mega Corridor began in Colosó, where we have been working with local communities to turn vision into reality. At the heart of this effort are twelve extraordinary women, now proud Tití Guardians, who stepped forward to help grow the forest of the future. Through a hands-on training course with the Proyecto Tití team, these women learned the essential techniques needed to successfully propagate native tropical dry forest species-skills that require patience, precision, and deep care. During the training, they learned how to collect and select viable seeds, how to properly prepare planting substrates, and how to recognize the specific germination needs of different tree species. Some seeds require soaking, others must be planted at precise depths, and many need careful monitoring to ensure they receive the right balance of moisture, shade, and airflow. The women also learned how to protect young seedlings from pests, fungal growth, and dehydration-common challenges in tropical environments.

After the course, each woman established a satellite nursery at her home, where she applied the exact same methods and care techniques learned during the training. Day by day, they watered, monitored, transplanted, and nurtured thousands of seedlings—using the knowledge shared by Proyecto Tití to ensure the plants developed strong roots and healthy growth.
Thanks to their dedication and the skills gained through this training, these home nurseries have produced more than 12,000 native seedlings, many now over 30 cm tall and ready for planting during the upcoming rainy season in the Coraza buffer zone. Their work represents the first major step in building the Mega Corridor—and a powerful example of how community leadership is helping restore forests for cotton-top tamarins and countless other species. This marks the first major step in building the corridor.

And what did they grow? They planted what the forest needs most. 

Trees that will one day provide safe shelter and resting places, and trees that will produce fruits and seeds that sustain wildlife throughout the year. In total, they cultivated more than 40 key native tropical dry forest species, carefully selected to restore ecological balance and create healthy habitat for cotton-top tamarins and many other animals that share this landscape. And their dedication was recognized in meaningful ways. For completing this important work, each woman received a germination bed that she can continue using to grow other plants and products for sale, helping strengthen her household livelihood. During the months of seedling production, they also received a monthly stipend to support their time and effort, and they were provided with capital to invest in their small businesses, allowing them to expand their production of local goods for the market.

Today, those 12,000 seedlings have left the community nurseries and been transported to a nearby restoration site, where they are going through an important acclimatization process — gradually adjusting to the sunlight, wind, and rainfall conditions of their future forest home. Soon, they will be ready to take root and begin the next chapter of this Mega Corridor story.

Phase Two: Farmers Leading Restoration

Now, another powerful chapter of this story begins. We are working with 32  Tití Guardian farmers from the communities of Pajarito and Charco Azul, who have voluntarily dedicated portions of their land to forest restoration — helping recover habitat for cotton-top tamarins and countless other species. In return, they have received tools and technical training to strengthen the sustainability and productivity of their farms. This exchange reflects our core belief: conservation and livelihoods must grow together. Soon, the seedlings so carefully nurtured by the women will be planted on these farms — marking the first tangible stretch of a Mega Corridor that will reconnect forests, biodiversity, and communities.

A Corridor of Hope

The Mega Corridor is more than a restoration project. It is a living bridge — reconnecting fragmented forest patches, expanding habitat, and ensuring that cotton-top tamarins can move, forage, and thrive across a healthier landscape.
From San Juan to Colosó, this corridor represents collaboration, resilience, and long-term commitment. And this is only the beginning. We’ll continue sharing updates as this story grows — one seedling, one farm, one forest connection at a time.