Global Heritage Fund

2011 PROJECT PROGRESS:

Click the above photo to view Planning slideshow.

Planning

At Ciudad Perdida, a topographic and architectural survey was conducted to determine core conservation areas, monitoring zones, circulation patterns and all conservation work documentation. This has resulted in expanding the mapped and surveyed area of the park from 20-30 hectares to approximately 60-70 hectares.
GHF teams also advanced in ground truthing and assessing other nearby sites that will be included in the general management plan. This has contributed to clearing up site nomenclature problems, identifying whether continued looting persists, and the general level of conservation for these sites, giving us an updated view of the true location of these sites in the Upper Buritaca Basin and in relation to Ciudad Perdida.
The Management Plan team produced a comprehensive threat assessment report, including an invasive tree inventory, and has set up a 2012-2016 conservation and intervention schedule for addressing these problems.

Click the above photo to view Conservation Science slideshow.

Conservation Science

The ICANH conservation team intervened on four terraces requiring urgent attention due to collapsed walls, and leveled surface areas and foundation rings amounting to over 200 square meters.
During June, the team fixed damage to one of the central terrace walls caused accidentally by an army soldier.
During November, the team cleared away blockages to the main drainages of 137 terraces (63% of all structures open to the public) just before the beginning of the heavy rains.

Click the above photo to view Community Development slideshow.

Community Development

A Fixed Obligation Grant (FOG) received by GHF and FIAAT through the Patrimonio-Natural-USAID Conservation Landscapes Program was used to set up residual water treatment systems in five trail lodges, rebuild one indigenous-operated lodge, build 16 firewood saving stoves at these lodges, and provide trail signage up to the Natural Park border.
Capacity building activities centered on providing Wilderness First Aid training for all guides and a workshop on Natural and Cultural Heritage.
A workshop on silvipasture ranching for 20 cattle ranchers in the area was also provided with the aim of setting up pasture-forest systems and decreasing open pasture areas.
Funding was also secured to build a bridge over the Buritaca river at the precise crossing where a 20-year-old tourist was drowned by a flash flood in June. The bridge was built by FIAAT and Fundacion Puentes de la Esperanza, funded by the Conservation Landscapes Program, Fondo Patrimonio Natural-USAID.
A school Ecological Club was also set up, providing 47 children with a venue in which they can set up natural and cultural conservation projects.

Click the above photo to view Partnerships slideshow.

Partnerships

Partnerships with Bolivar-Davivienda Foundation, Citibank-Colombia, and Gabriel Echavarria were established in 2011.
GHF and FIAAT secured a major Fixed Obligation Grant (FOG) through the Patrimonio-Natural-USAID Conservation Landscapes Program.

2009 - 2010 PROJECT PROGRESS:

Planning

During the summer a team from GHF visited Ciudad Perdida to conduct site mapping and threat documentation to aid in site planning and monitoring
Work is also continuing on the preparation of a Master Plan to guide conservation and development work in and around the site to ensure its long-term sustainability
Preparations have begun for mapping Ciudad Perdida and surrounding sites during the dry season (December-February) by a joint GHF-ICANH Team
Colombian Institute of Anthropology conservation team visited Ciudad Perdida in September to determine major conservation threats and design preventive maintenance protocols advising on short, medium and long term actions need to ensure site sustainability

Conservation

At the beginning of the year, tourist accommodations were moved off of the site to reduce impact on the delicate archaeological remains
Suitability analysis has been conducted to identify a more appropriate location for helicopter landings as an alternative to the main ceremonial platform, which is currently used for this purpose
Trees which threaten the site’s archaeological features have been identified, and a plan is being prepared for their careful removal
GHF and ICANH conservation team conducted a one day workshop at the National Museum on Ciudad Perdida research and conservation history and prior interventions at Pueblito archaeological site.
ICANH conservation team visited the site in September and re-leveled a broken up foundation ring and sunken flagstone paved terrace floor to determine approximate time frames, equipment, labor, and man-hours required to achieve these tasks inother areas

Community

A visitors map is being prepared to complement the guide book and inform visitors about the trail and locations of tourist facilities along it
GHF is working with the indigenous Kogi to identify incidents of looting in the region and devise solutions to mitigate this grave threat
GHF is working with peasant community to devise a lodge and trail garbage collection micro-business
GHF met with ICANH, the National Park Service and the ViceMinistry of Tourism with the aim of coordinating possible improvements to lodges and securing technical aid for water sanitation systems, trail signage, and maintenance

Partnerships

GHF met with Colombian private sector industry leaders in June with the aim of creating a Colombian Heritage Organization. Further meetings are pending with Fundacion Corona, Grupo Corona, and Grupo Bolivar
GHF has applied to a CitiFoundation grant (U$ 60,000) aimed at improving trailhead town school curriculum
GHF is currently designing a proposal for securing USAID funds from the Colombian Conservation Landscapes program for capacity building and training of local guides, as well as indigenous and peasant smallholders on various topics, including Leave No Trace protocols, wilderness first aid, sustainable building practices, silvopastoral productive systems, and rural microentrepreneurship related to heritage and natural conservation