Toluviejo: 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook for the Tropical Dry Forest Program

On March 14, residents of Coraza, La Siria, La Venta, and La Esperanza—located near Toluviejo in the department of Sucre, Colombia—met with members of Envol Vert in La Esperanza to kick off the 2026 activities. This meeting provided an opportunity to review the activities carried out by the Tropical Dry Forest project in 2025 and to define strategic priorities for the current year, which are focused on environmental conservation and economic alternatives.

The meeting began with a participatory workshop and an activity called “Building Our Forest.” Each participant introduced themselves and shared what they value most about the forest. The discussions reflected a shared vision: the forest, with its water, trees, and biodiversity, is essential to local life and collective well-being. This activity once again demonstrated the commitment of the Toluviejo communities to protecting their environment.

Despite financial challenges in 2025, particularly due to the departure of some partners, the results presented are very encouraging. The most notable achievement was that of the hibiscus flower, whose sales allowed producers to double or even triple their income. The work of the women’s group from La Esperanza in processing was also highly valued, as it enabled the expansion of marketing for products made for the Tamandúa brand.
The participants then discussed the objectives for 2026. Through a simple exercise, they categorised the challenges into conservation and economic alternatives, thereby facilitating discussions and helping the Envol Vert team to understand future actions. Finally, the meeting concluded with the selection of the upcoming ‘forest discovery’ training workshops. Following a vote, the topics of ‘soaps and cosmetics’ and ‘botanical ointments and oils’ were chosen as priorities for this year.

In conclusion, this meeting provided an opportunity to review the year 2025, strengthen our collective spirit and look ahead to 2026. It also marked the arrival of a new conservation coordinator, Luis Noche, and new volunteers: Cynthia Cassin and Clémentine Conrath. Despite the departure of some partners, the Bosque Seco Tropical programme is demonstrating its resilience and confirming that nature conservation and economic development can go hand in hand.