Troops of the Infantry Battalion No.22 Batalla de Ayacucho, attached to the Eighth Brigade of the National Army, within the framework of Operation Artemisa with the commitment to preserve the environment and natural resources, so far in 2022, they have planted more than 11 thousand trees in different areas of the department of Caldas.
The commander of the Ayacucho Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel José Francisco Candela and the executive director of the National Federation of Merchants (FENALCO), Caldas sectional, Juan José Silva Serna, toured the El Gualí military base, with the aim of projecting and coordinating operations conducted by institutions and communities, for the conservation and protection of the Páramo.
The tour was accompanied by the soldiers, who expressed the pride they feel for being part of this germination process and the privilege of working with their commanders in efforts to generate projects for the protection of the Páramo and its vegetation.
In the activity, the director of Fenalco and his work team, heard from the soldiers themselves the work done in the implementation of this experimental project.
Parallel to this, the commander of the Ayacucho Battalion, illustrated the civil authorities about the progress and the roadmap that has been taking place in the department since Operation Artemisa.
To maintain biodiversity, germinate endangered plants and reforest the region, soldiers of the military bases have implemented seven nurseries that correspond to the environmental reality of each municipality. In addition, in this unit inin the capital city of Caldas, a greenhouse is being built that is projected to germinate 1,200 native trees of the region per month.
He has in the same way been carrying out an environmental diagnosis accompanied by officials of the municipal mayors, the Governorate, Aguas de Manizales and Corpocaldas, with whom they carry out reforestation activities on the most disturbed sectors, to counteract deforestation caused by the exploitation of mining deposits, recover some native plants, preserve the soil from erosion and improve, in the medium and long term, the hydrographic basins.
During the year, the soldiers of the Ayacucho Battalion with inter-institutional operations have planted more than 11 thousand trees; in addition to being producing, through forest nurseries, more than ten thousand plants including frailejones, wax palm, rubber and other native to the region. The seven nurseries are in the military bases of the village of San Félix, Gualí, La Esmeralda, Substation, Cañaveral, El Mirador and El Bosque.
In the same way, we work in a joint, coordinated and inter-institutional way to contribute to the preservation of the environment damaged by deforestation, illegal mining and wildlife trafficking.
The executive director of Fenalco, sectional Caldas, Juan José Silva Serna, praised the link of the National Army with the operations that, through Operation Artemisa, are carried out to contribute to the environment in Caldas. “getting to Los Nevados National Park and knowing firsthand what the Army has been doing in terms of protecting our environment, is a cause for celebration because it is a sample of the vocation towards the environment, taking care of these areas declared areas of environmental interest of the country, in addition to conducting tress planting projects in nurseries, introducing plants of the region in environmental recovery zones”.
“It seems that the environmental issue is rooted in the Army and we are glad because they can help us a lot in consolidating environmental policies. Today we feel that we are part of this project that seeks to take care of the Caldense biodiversity and we hope with Fenalco Caldas, we coordinate to carry out these tree planting activities hand in hand with the business sector, carrying out tourism initiatives of which very soon we will start working around our Wax Palm. We reiterate that we are very pleased to be witnesses of this effort made by the Army in Colombia and especially in Caldas with the men of the Ayacucho Battalion," Silva Serna said.
Source: Eighth Brigade
