Peru

At Sumak Kawsay, an innovative environmental enterprise founded in 2017 , their core mission is the conservation of native stingles bees and other pollinators through ecosystem restoration. Their work is primarily focused on dry forest and mountain environments in Lambayeque, northern Peru, specifically within the peasant community of San Francisco de Ass in the Salas district. The organization is actively engaged in hands-on land restoration acros approximately 11 hectares. This involves the systematic reintroduction of native flora crucial for ecosystem health and the re-establishment of plant-pollinator interactions. A key component of their strategy is sustainable meliponiculture (management of native stingles bees) , which are critical bio-indicators and pollinators. Their approach deeply integrates scientific methodologies with ancestral knowledge, especially through their "Women Guardians of the Native Bees" initiative, which empowers peasant and indigenous women as ecological leaders. Their work is deeply rooted in community-based conservation, partnering with six local peasant communities to restore degraded lands in the nexts months increasing the number of hectares to be restored. Their other initiative "The Bee Honey Route," provides income opportunities through honey production and agritourism, directly supporting mountain ecosystem restoration, reforestation with native plants, and conservation research. Their ultimate goal is to foster ecological resilience, enhance biodiversity, and improve the livelihoods of local communities through sustainable land practices. Climate change impacts, such as unpredictable weather patterns and prolonged droughts, further complicate restoration efforts, demanding adaptive strategies. And finally, securing and maintaining sustained community buy-in and active participation requires continuous engagement and the clear demonstration of tangible benefits, which can be resource-intensive.

Qinti Per is a youth-led initiative based in the Andean region of ncash, Peru, committed to the restoration of high mountain ecosystems, especially queual forests (Polylepis spp.) and wetlands (bofedales). The organization works in close collaboration with local communities, incorporating ancestral knowledge, faith-based values of reciprocity with nature, and scientific approaches to ecosystem restoration. Their current efforts are focused on the Cordillera Blanca and surrounding areas, including the rural communities of Canrey and Marian in the province of Huaraz. These areas have been heavily impacted by glacier retreat and land degradation. Through participatory planning and community engagement, the organization implement reforestation activities, water conservation practices, and environmental education programs involving women, youth, and elders. The organization is currently developing a project titled Red de Guardianes de la Biodiversidad con Enfoque Intergeneracional, which will strengthen local stewardship of queual forests and wetlands through intergenerational knowledge exchange, artistic expression, and field-based ecological monitoring. This initiative will also serve the undervaluation of ancestral knowledge in formal territorial management processes creates a gap between local practices and institutional support. Finally, climate change accelerates ecosystem degradation, making restoration efforts more urgent, but also more complex.