Visit to Vichada August 2025

Exactly four years ago, in November 2021, I came to Vichada, Colombia — a vast, remote region — and made a decision that changed my life. I bought a plot of degraded land, named Los Laureles, and with the help of friends, family, and the remarkable local operator, InverBosques, we planted half a million trees.

This summer, I was rewarded with the issuance of Gold Standard carbon credits — equivalent to the removal of 45,000 tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere. That’s the same as taking roughly 10,000 petrol cars off the road for a year. Not bad for a first-time effort.

This time, I came back — and brought with me my daughter, who had just graduated. I wanted her to see what I’ve been working on for the last four years, and to share something important: supporting a local boarding school that hosts around 120 children from remote areas. Due to the challenges of transportation, as some would need to walk for several hours to reach home, these pupils live at the school throughout the week.

InverBosques is already leading impactful community programs, and when I asked how I could help, they provided a list of essentials — bathrooms, mattresses, books, puzzles, games, sports equipment. So we visited, met the children, and held a small reception. Seeing her connect with them reminded me what this is really all about.

From a Personal Plot to a Regional Platform

What began as a personal initiative evolved quickly. I was impressed not just by the land, but by the people — especially InverBosques, who have been working in this region for over 18 years, building deep experience and trust with local communities. When I started in 2021, the nursery had capacity for 1 million seedlings per year. Today, thanks to the support of major partners, that capacity is 20 million seedlings annually, including a growing share of native species.

Equipped with the hands on experience with my “little project”, I started knocking on the doors of larger players to share my experience and my enthusiasm. At the end of 2022, with InverBosques we signed a major reforestation project with the Geneva based Trafigura: 10,000 hectares planted 12 million trees Project name: Brujula Verde. (Link: Brújula Verde Project, Colombia | Trafigura )

In 2024, Temasek, through GenZero, joined after rigorous due diligence. Since then, we’ve structured a second phase of another 10,000 hectares-now under execution-, and a third is on the horizon. (Link: GenZero and Trafigura Announce US$100M Expansion of the Brújula Verde Nature-Based Carbon Removals Project in Colombia - GenZero )

Other major actors like Gunvor have also entered the region. Together, these projects are transforming this once-degraded landscape into a global model for responsible, large-scale, nature-based carbon removal.

Gold Standard-Certified and Technically Transparent

Our projects are certified by the Gold Standard, with an approved Project Design Document (PDD) GS-4221 and a strict MRV (Measure, Review, Verify) framework. That means physical "inventories" — statistical field sampling to measure tree height, diameter, and density — carried out by accredited auditors.

From this data, we calculate biomass growth using an approved methodology. In our projects, 1 cubic meter of biomass equals roughly 2.5 tons of CO₂ absorbed, or 2.5 carbon credits under Gold Standard. Further audits are also taking place before final credits issuance including a separate audit of the inventory process, compliance of the forestry operations with the PDD specifications and in field verifications of sound local communities’ relations.

We’re also pioneering digital MRV, combining aerial surveys, satellite imagery, drones, and an AI platform that is learning to “see” and “count” trees. It will eventually be able to estimate biomass volume and carbon absorption remotely — calibrated by real field data. This gives credit buyers live visibility into the origin, impact, and permanence of their credits.

Nature Rebuilding Nature

Our vision is not a monoculture. From the start, we've integrated buffer zones, corridors, and an increasing share of native species into every plantation. In just the past 18 months, we’ve planted over 1 million native trees — and more are growing in our expanded nurseries.

What’s remarkable is that as planted forests mature, they create microclimates that invite native plants, birds, insects, and animals to return. Some of our older plots now have native species regenerating on their own, a clear sign that afforestation can jumpstart the rewilding process.

We now track biodiversity through:

• DNA sampling in soil and water

• Camera traps to monitor returning wildlife

• Botanical fieldwork documenting native flora resurgence

These aren’t secondary benefits — they are integral to the restoration vision.

Fires: The Greatest Threat — and Proof of Degradation

In Vichada, fire is not just a threat to planted forests — it's the reason this landscape degraded in the first place. Fires are lit routinely to flush out animals or regenerate grass, but they also destroy saplings, sterilize soils, and prevent natural succession.

To counter this:

• We maintain permanent fire brigades

• We’ve taken out fire insurance

• We use firebreaks, early detection, and community education

• And we collaborate with local authorities and land users to promote better practices

But these fires are also why the do-nothing case fails. Left unmanaged, this region doesn't regenerate. It burns. And erodes. And eventually, turns to desert.

Why Doing Nothing Isn’t an Option

There’s a popular ecological argument — that sometimes, the best approach is to simply let nature recover on its own. We asked ourselves that same question: “If we did nothing — if we left the savanna alone — what would happen?”

So we studied it. Over several seasons, with external experts, we sampled soils, vegetation, rainfall impact, and fire patterns. The conclusion was clear: Doing nothing would lead to further degradation — not regeneration.

The savanna in Vichada suffers from:

• Regular fires, often man-made, which prevent any woody biomass from taking hold

• Heavy seasonal rains, which erode already nutrient-poor soils

• Low organic matter, confirmed by deep soil samples before planting

• A natural state that, if left alone, accelerates toward desertification

This is not a functioning ecosystem waiting to rebound. It’s a vulnerable, eroding biome on the brink of collapse. The targeted planting areas is degraded savanna with ecosystems undergoing gradual yet persistent process of deterioration. And this trend is driven by fire events, declining soil quality, simplified vegetation structure, and overarching environmental pressures such as climate variability and the increasing risk of desertification.

And that’s what makes this region not just eligible but ideal for well-designed afforestation projects — they are not replacing native forests; they are reviving biologically empty land, reactivating ecosystems, and reversing desertification.

And Now: A New Opportunity for Others to Join

While I’m grateful for the trust and investment from global players like Trafigura and Temasek, I’ve also been thinking about how to open this door to others — to smaller companies, individuals, or mission-driven investors.

So together with InverBosques, we’ve created a dedicated investment fund, incorporated in Delaware, with a very simple model: Replicate what we’ve already done — at scale, with credibility, and with clear impact.

• Subscription fees are affordable and accessible

• It’s hands-off for the investor — operations are managed by our experienced teams

• Carbon credit issuance is demonstrated and benchmarked

• The model is de-risked by performance, historical costs, and market demand

• And most importantly, it’s a good business that does real good

Whether you want to invest for carbon removal, biodiversity, social impact, or simply because you want more trees in this world — this is a chance to join a movement that is already delivering.