We Belong: Performing our first community trail in the Andean Chocó

La pertenencia Sendero 1

- We belong Trail 1

A Community's Dream Takes Root

In 2022, Caoba de Monte invited neighbors to imagine community tourism together. However, the outcome was something far more profound; resulting on a shared vision for environmental stewardship and collective belonging.

The spark came from neighbor Nancy Chela's dream—to connect two nearby properties Finca San Agustin and Rancho Don Dario and create a hiking route that will allow it's visitors an immersive experience . What began as imagination became reality through horizontal dialogue between the ecosystem, people, and their individual inspirations.

The Trail

La Pertenencia, sendero 1 (We Belong Trail 1) winds 2.5 km through natural water, forest, and hillside pasture at an 510–630m elevation, within a Key Biodiverse Area in the Andean Chocó (variety of birds; 46 identified within the area, 640 within the Choco ecosystem 70 of which are endemic to the region). Considered the physical heart of the community tourism circuit, as a result of years of shared dialogue and communications.

Six Phases of Co-Creation

Over the course of 52 weeks, neighbors, knowledge holders, teenagers, Afro-descendant women, ecologists, musicians, and the input of non human beings will be considered to co-create a new imaginary of belonging through open, hands-on workshops::)

• Ecological characterisation — establishing biodiversity baselines understanding amphibians and birds as bioindicators
• Natural cosmetics — creating four products from trail-sourced ingredients
• Trail design — following guidelines, collective planning, construction, and nature-based water systems
• Ecological restoration — planting endemic and agroforestry species
• Ceramic signage — forest-inspired visual markers with 0 footprint impact.
• Boom del Bosque — a community inspired celebration weaving all elements and stages together from the planning the actual opening of the trail.

This is not just about planting trees anymore—it's about recovering memory, identity, and natural balance while activating meaningful, dignified and regenerative work opportunities, rooted in local knowledge and resources.