Acción Serrana - Argentina

Location

Sierras Grandes de Córdoba, Argentina

Category

Hub

Ecosystems
Mid-elevation Chaco Serrano and sub-Andean forests with altiplano grasslands.
Land Tenure

National Park Quebrada del Condorito lands and Provincial Watershed Reserve of Pampa de Achala (private property subject to Provincial management & conservation plans)

Contacts
Dr. Pablo Friedlander, [email protected]
Lic. Romina Torre, [email protected]
Websites

https://www.accionserrana.com/; https://www.fundacionab.org.ar/;  www.acccion-andina.org

Videos

Acción Serrana
Biodiversity in Our Region

Figure 2: Map of the Acción Serrana restoration sites in the Sierras Grandes de Córdoba.

Overview

The Andean Cordillera, stretching over 5,000 km from Colombia and Venezuela south to northern Chile and Argentina, is home to unique high-altitude forests primarily dominated by diverse species of the genus Polylepis (Rosaceae). These forests, known as Andean cloud forests, play an essential role in maintaining biodiversity, ecosystem functionality, and ecosystem services for all forms of life. However, their extent and quality have been severely diminished due to human activities such as logging, burning, and overgrazing, particularly in the 16th century and the introduction of European livestock.

In the Sierras Grandes de Córdoba, where our conservation efforts focus, only the endemic Polylepis australis, or Tabaquillo, can be found. Much deforestation has occurred here as well, emphasizing the urgent need for restoration.

Figure 3: Polylepis australis and Maytenus boaria forest at 2000 m.a.s.l. (Above, from outside the ‘panoramic’ site, and Below, from inside the grove).

Efforts to restore these critical forest ecosystems are vital for the local communities and for preserving the headwaters of South America's major rivers. The Polylepis trees play a functional role in capturing fog and moisture, contributing to the so-called "biotic pump," which is crucial for maintaining climate and water cycles of the main basins of South America. Protecting these forests is increasingly important in the face of rising wildfires in the region, necessitating collaborative and intercultural initiatives to enhance restoration and safeguard water resources for future generations.

These forests harbor remarkable biodiversity, including numerous endangered species, and offer various ecosystem services. As a result, they are gaining attention from NGOs and biocultural restoration initiatives like the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. In 2023, Accion Andina received the distinguished Earthshot Prize, followed by its recognition as one of seven UN World Restoration Flagships in 2024 for its commitment to restoring Andean forests across multiple countries.

Before the creation of Acción Andina, Acción Serrana, a local project, was already making strides under the Fundación de Actividades Biosféricas. The project operates in the Pampa de Achala Provincial Water Reserve and Quebrada del Condorito National Park, which collectively cover over 183,344 hectares and serve as significant ecological and cultural reserves.

To restore the Polylepis australis forests, the "Milking the Clouds" project was initiated in 2002, supported by local grassroots initiatives. The establishment of the Acción Andina consortium in 2018 helped consolidate efforts across multiple Andean nations, leading to the planting of approximately 7 million Polylepis trees with an increasing success rate. These restoration efforts are bolstered by community engagement and support, where participation in planting events is incentivized through payments and local matching efforts.

Acción Serrana had been overseeing the restoration  of 14 areas, totaling 3,170 fenced hectares, managing approximately  65 permanent staff members and more than 1,500 volunteers annually. The organization plants trees from November to March, with over 645,000 Polylepis australis trees grown from locally collected seeds since the program's inception. As of the 2024-2025 season, plans include propagating 250,000 trees across 29 nurseries, successfully expanding reforestation efforts further into Argentina's northwest.

Figure 4: Acción Serrana team planting Polylepis australis in the highest watershed of Córdoba Province.

A critical component of our work is environmental education provided to local communities and schools over the past decade, which emphasizes the importance of ecological restoration and cultivates skills for sustainable future “green jobs”. Collaboration with local stakeholders, municipalities, governmental agencies, and educational institutions is essential to foster ecological, social, and economic sustainability.

In the years ahead, Acción Serrana plans to introduce a wider variety of native trees and shrubs through a framework species approach, targeting 30% of future funds toward native Neltuma (ex Prosopis)  and other framework species, while dedicating 70% of resources to high-altitude Polylepis restoration. Additionally, we aim to facilitate multi-site research projects that will monitor upper-watersheds and human health indicators in areas undergoing restoration, to evaluate the effectiveness of our strategies comprehensively.

Through these efforts, we are committed to enhancing ecosystems and strengthening our relationship with nature, ensuring the longevity and health of Andean cloud forests and lower buffer zones of Chaco serrano forests for generations to come.

Accion Serrana is honoured to join the Ecological Health Network to scale up watersheds restoration, enhance environmental education and promote intercultural collaboration among scientists together with practitioners active in Biocultural Restoration, while sharing our regenerative experiences across bioregions in Argentina with an international network of networks.