A conservation story at more than 3800 meters above sea level: The Guanentá Alto Río Fonce Flora and Fauna Sanctuary (SFFG) and its work with frailejones.

The release of areas within the Sanctuary that were used for cattle ranching, within the framework of the signing of conservation agreements with the farmers, to reduce pressure on the Paramo, was the first step in the recovery process of this important ecosystem, which offers vital ecosystem services for the territory such as water supply, water regulation, purification, carbon sequestration and habitat provision, besides being an area that is characterized as a corridor for various species of fauna, richness in flora diversity and presence of endemic species.

In this sense, this restoration initiative helps guarantee that local communities can continue to enjoy the benefits it offers and at the same time gain knowledge about the propagation and management of high mountain species.

Thus, the Sanctuary is committed to the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of the ecosystem together with strategic allies such as regional environmental authorities, non-governmental organizations, local communities, public entities, and private enterprise.

The production of plant material in the PA for its own use facilitates the restoration process carried out within the area, since it is not easy to obtain these species in external nurseries. Taking into account this need, the SFFG nursery was inaugurated in 2021 and has a capacity to propagate and house more than 80,000 individuals of 23 species, including 13 species of frailejon, 3 of which are endemic.

The specific conditions for propagation, maintenance and species-specific production have been generated from the process developed with the protected area team. The propagation process begins with the collection of the seeds, in the case of the frailejones, these are found in the flower stalks, then they are sieved and the best ones are selected. They are then taken to the nursery for germination. The work in the nursery includes activities such as watering the seedlings twice a day, weeding, filling the bags, transplanting into the bags or potting, monitoring, experimentation and, of course, maintenance of the nursery.

The financing of productive alternatives and/or improvement of agricultural practices outside the Sanctuary for families with land inside the protected area has stimulated the liberation of areas that were used for cattle ranching; in this way, actions have focused on recovering the impacted zones. On the other hand, the management of technical and financial resources with public and private actors facilitates the development and long-term permanence of the restoration process, because in addition to the construction of the infrastructure and the operation of the nursery (technical equipment and supplies), planting, maintenance and care are also carried out.

Much of the restoration work carried out by PNNC is thanks to the participation and inter-institutional efforts of CAS, CORPOBOYACA, WWF Colombia, AGROSOLIDARIA Association, the National Army, the municipalities, private companies and other key actors, who have provided inputs, labor and infrastructure, mainly. Undoubtedly, the strategic alliances in favor of biodiversity conservation in the Sanctuary are key to continue with the arduous and important work that the area has been implementing with these key actors.

Guanentá has been characterized by its research work with different paramo and high mountain species, including three species endemic to the paramos of Colombia, Espeletia cachaluensis, E. chontalensis and E. laxiflora, as well as the Coloradito (Polylepis quadrijuga), these species are Conservation Object Values (VOC) of the protected area and of great value to local communities.

The research has been carried out hand in hand with educational institutions, which have had the opportunity to support the gathering of information on these and other species in the Sanctuary, generating information that has been complemented with the local knowledge of the inhabitants of the area of influence, which has been key in all phases of the project, from the collection of the seeds of each species, the propagation process, the maintenance of the seedlings in the nursery, and the subsequent planting of the individuals. In addition, Guanentá, being the PA with the greatest diversity of frailejones in the country, makes it an excellent scenario for research.

The work of sensitization and environmental education that the Sanctuary has been developing has been key in the contribution to the conservation of the páramo and its biodiversity. Thanks to these actions, nowadays the people of the surrounding villages and owners of properties and RNSC, for whom the Sanctuary has become a place that provides them with knowledge and where they can interact with others around learning and conservation, define it as an "open environmental classroom". Fabio Muñoz, current head of the Sanctuary and his team are working to consolidate the Training School for Paramo Conservation, a proposal that seeks to continue with environmental education and teaching actions on the Sanctuary's restoration exercise to any person or entity that wishes to learn and replicate it in other areas of the country. The National Army of the Silva Plazas Battalion and its military base in Peña Negra, for example, have participated in the training sessions.