Notes from the Field: Chiribiquete National Park

While on the way to the Gaia Amazonas Foundation’s first Intercultural Dialogue event this past October between Indigenous authorities, the Colombian government, and civil society organizations, Andes Amazon Fund Program Officer Peter Oesterling accompanied an overflight of Colombia’s Chiribiquete National Park – whose second expansion of 3.7 million acres in 2018 was supported by AAF.

Chiribiquete is one of South America’s largest national parks, and protects a mostly unexplored expanse of rainforest. Dramatic rock formations called tepuys protrude from the jungle canopy, creating a stunning landscape unlike anywhere else on Earth. Chiribiquete hosts some of the greatest plant biodiversity of the northern Amazon region, as well as one of the largest assemblages of cave paintings in South America, indicating the presence of humans as early as 450 A.D.

Below are some of Peter’s thoughts about his experience:

“Chiribiquete is one of those landscapes where language is an inadequate medium to describe both the magnitude and majesty of what you’re witnessing. It’s a place where you’re left trying to process what you saw, by putting some sort of arbitrary comparative construct on your experience to attempt to make sense of what Chiribiquete is and what it represents.

There are very few places I’ve seen in my life that I’d even consider to be in the same galaxy as Chiribiquete in terms of how impressive it is. I felt like I understood what the concept of ‘big nature’ was before seeing it, but now I’m left with my perspective forever changed… I won’t recycle describing its characteristics further when there are more qualified people that were involved in protecting this place who can do it far better justice than me, not to mention what many Indigenous Peoples would surely have to say about it. I will simply say that Chiribiquete to me was like traveling through geologic time, where I had the privilege of seeing one of the Earth’s finest creations. The juxtaposition between its geology and its Amazonian Forest was stunning, and I instantly comprehended why this place is considered so sacred.

Aside from that sense of sheer amazement, Chiribiquete also gave me a renewed sense of hope. With our news cycles constantly reminding us of how close we are to environmental catastrophe, it’s easy be overcome with hopelessness or to feel powerless to be able to affect any sort of change. My friends will undoubtedly tell you that this is where I shamelessly plug in a Lord of the Rings reference to better describe something that on first glance, could seem futile. So, for me the experience of seeing Chiribiquete and just the fact that it exists is a light for me to carry in dark places along my journey of contributing towards leaving a habitable planet for future generations to enjoy. After all, anyone that works on environmental issues will tell you that ‘One does not simply walk into a future where humanity has a more harmonious relationship with nature.’

Chiribiquete, who and what it houses, and what it provides are examples of why we must protect and maintain the natural systems of our planet while uplifting the stewards who defend it. Such a goal doesn’t seem as far away to me as it used to. It is indeed achievable…

My gratitude goes to the Andes Amazon Fund and the Gaia Amazonas Foundation for facilitating this experience, with special thanks to Patricio von Hildebrandt, who accompanied us on our overflight and gave us his own special tour of the place his years of work and exploration helped to protect.”

Photos: Peter Oesterling, Andes Amazon Fund