We are becoming increasingly aware of our impact on the earth. Traveling is a lot of fun, and it can also improve the development of a country like Colombia. New jobs are created, infrastructure is improved, and people are beginning to see the importance of preserving their own culture and nature. However, we also know that flying, driving, staying in hotels where bed linen and towels have to be washed more often, also have a negative impact, namely the carbon emissions that it entails. At MiraMundo Travel we believe it is important that we protect our planet and treat nature responsibly. That’s why we offer a solution to reduce your carbon footprint when traveling with us.

As of today, we give our travelers the choice to make a donation of 10 Euros per person per booked trip to projects of CO2 compensation. We have chosen to work with South Pole for this. Founded in 2006 by five young social entrepreneurs, all graduated from the prestigious Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). Now they have a team of more than 1000 experts who provide innovative solutions to achieve sustainability goals. These experts are spread all over the world, in 37 locations on 6 continents.

We choose to give the donations to the projects that South Pole has in Colombia.
The projects focus on three topics: forest protection, diversity conservation and plastic collection.

FOREST PROTECTION

• Vaupés & Predio Putumayo Indigenous Reserves, protecting the Amazon rainforest. Vaupés and Putumayo are part of the Amazon ecosystem. The goal of the project is to prevent unplanned deforestation. This is achieved in the first place by strengthening the local governance structures according to the customs of the local communities. Second, degraded forest areas are restored with timber and fruit trees and endemic palms. Third, the project builds on traditional practices to create new sustainable income streams so that indigenous communities can earn an income without cutting more forests; and sustainable, safe food systems to enhance well-being.
• Magnolia Forest Conservation. Located in Colombia’s northern Antioquia region, this project aims to protect critically endangered plant species, with a major focus on protecting the region’s endemic magnolia trees. In close cooperation with 75 local farmers, 3 private foundations, spread over 120 plots.
• Restoration of the Vichada Forest, located near the Colombia-Venezuela border, is located in a previously savanna area where there was no investment due to its marginal, hard-to-reach location. The project combines both reforestation and afforestation activities with biodiversity protection and ecosystem restoration.

PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY

• Alicante river canyon, located in Antioquia about 3 hours drive from Medellin. This area is home to over 350 birds, 40 mammals, 40 reptiles and amphibians, and 400 species of flora. Including the jaguar and various monkey species. However, agricultural frontier expansion, deforestation, wildlife trade and illegal mining have increased pressures on endemic and endangered wildlife. South pole helps with the development of nature conservation and new sustainable activities, including restoration, agroforestry, organic cocoa, coffee cultivation and even ecotourism.
• El Porvenir Nature Reserve, located in Santander in eastern Colombia. It has one of the highest numbers of wildlife in all of Colombia with over 9,000 recorded species, 800 of which are endemic, including the jaguar and cougar. The aim is to establish a Biodiversity Bank, which acts as a conservation mechanism based on Biodiversity Credits, and creates economic incentives for private landowners to conserve and sustain biodiversity on their land.

PLASTIC COLLECTION

• Waste Heroes of Santa Marta. The project formalises the waste sector by bringing waste collectors together in associations and cooperatives of recyclers, creating jobs and new markets for recycled plastic products. By ensuring waste is collected directly from consumers, the project effectively keeps plastic out of the ocean and preserves the unique marine ecosystems of the Caribbean Ocean.
• Plastic smart cities. The project strengthens plastic waste management networks by collecting and recycling more than 500 tons of plastic waste per year. Spanning multiple cities including Bogota, Barranquilla, Cundinamarca and Cali, the Plastic Smart Cities project aims to tackle Colombia’s plastic problem by establishing a formal recycling network, expanding the range of plastic that can be recycled. expand and improve the waste management infrastructure in the country.

We are delighted to be starting this partnership with South Pole and to be part of preserving nature and reducing CO2 emissions.

For more information about South Pole, have a look at their website. Website South Pole

For more specific information about their projects in Colombia click here

If you want to make a direct donation to a project in Colombia follow this link