An unusual project in times of change
Our forest project
Anyone who studies the Kogi people quickly realises how much the people of this ancient tribe are still connected to nature today. The Kogi have a deep understanding of the connections in nature that we in the West are only slowly beginning to grasp with our scientific methods.
This puts them in a better position to assess the impact of human intervention in nature and makes them a valuable ally in nature conservation.
Is it not obvious to invite them to Germany and ask for their assessment of the causes of forest dieback?
This puts them in a better position to assess the impact of human intervention in nature and makes them a valuable ally in nature conservation.
Is it not obvious to invite them to Germany and ask for their assessment of the causes of forest dieback?
About the German forest
According to the Federal Government's Forest Condition Report, the German forest in 2020 is 'sicker than ever'?, with only 21% of trees having intact crowns. Among beech trees, the proportion is just 11%. Increasing crown defoliation is not a disease in itself, but an expression of stress.
Under unfavourable external factors, this can lead to damage to entire stands, even to the complete death of the trees. The dieback rate, the second relevant indicator, has also increased compared to the previous year; older stands over 60 years of age are particularly affected.
Since the beginning of the forest condition survey in 1984, the condition of the forest has continued to deteriorate and a change is urgently needed.
Under unfavourable external factors, this can lead to damage to entire stands, even to the complete death of the trees. The dieback rate, the second relevant indicator, has also increased compared to the previous year; older stands over 60 years of age are particularly affected.
Since the beginning of the forest condition survey in 1984, the condition of the forest has continued to deteriorate and a change is urgently needed.
Current status
As part of a pilot project, we want to find out whether the Kogi's knowledge of balance in ecosystems can also be applied in Germany and how it can be linked to local approaches to regenerating natural habitats.
As part of the Kogi journey in September 2022, Kogi elders and experts will carry out initial forest surveys and territorial analyses. This will take place in Wittlich, Steinmaur and in Eberswalde in cooperation with the University for Sustainable Development Eberswald.
"When we work, we are not concerned with our own well-being, but always with the well-being of the whole earth."
Mama Bernado Mascote-Zarabata
Do you feel addressed or do you have any questions about the project? Please do not hesitate to contact us.
"Nature already arranges exactly what should grow next to where. We still know that. If we follow the original laws completely, we live well. You must never plant just one plant anywhere. That does not exist anywhere in nature."
Mama José Gabriel
Case study
It happened that a piece of land on the edge of the jungle was transferred to the Kogi in the early 1990s. The
The land had been completely degenerated by decades of cattle breeding and agriculture and by the use of chemicals in cocaine cultivation, and the adjacent Guachaca River had also almost dried up.
After the Kogi reclaimed the land and began to tend and manage it again with their knowledge and techniques, the land recovered. Within a surprisingly few years, the rainforest returned with its biodiversity and the Guachaca river basin is now also well filled with water again.
After the Kogi reclaimed the land and began to tend and manage it again with their knowledge and techniques, the land recovered. Within a surprisingly few years, the rainforest returned with its biodiversity and the Guachaca river basin is now also well filled with water again.