The recovery of a territory that embodies a country's past through its history, culture, and biodiversity is our commitment to a better environmental future for Colombia.
In 1994, we took on the challenge of restoring the cloud forests surrounding the Tequendama Falls. Since then, we have received the support of many individuals and organizations who have believed in our project El Salto Tiene Porvenir and in our
efforts to rescue from oblivion the valuable contribution this region has made to the country's development.
Today, we continue to believe that a free, clean Tequendama Falls surrounded by its natural richness is possible.
Below, we present some of the most important milestones in our history.
Find out how we have evolved over time!
We started our agricultural work at the El Porvenir farm with emphasis on agroforestry and forestry.
We opened to the public through the programs of opportunities for young people of the secretary of education of Bogota and so we gave way to the awareness program that uninterruptedly and with the support of various entities is carried out until today.
We created the ecological foundation El Porvenir, formalising the project as a non-profit organisation.
We organised the first forum whose theme was the historical importance of the Tequendama waterfall, in Soacha
We carried out the first publications of the entomological inventories of the El Porvenir farm reserve with the support of the Institute of Natural Sciences of the National University of Colombia.
We led the organisation of The International Forum for the Bogotá River with the participation of representatives of the water agency Normandie from Paris, the Medellín river, the Bogotá secretary of education, the council of State and the court of Cundinamarca. We also published a book entitled Biografía del Salto de Tequendama with the support of Professor Santiago Díaz Piedrahita who at the time was the president of the Colombian Academy of History.
We negotiated the purchase of the building known as hotel del Salto, an emblematic construction whose restoration was essential in the context of the project The Salto has future.
We published the guide to the plants of the El Porvenir Farm Reserve with the support of the Institute of Natural Sciences of the National University of Colombia.
Thanks to the support of the European Union, the French Development Agency and the French Embassy in Colombia, through the instrument for the Facilitation Of Investment In Latin America (LAIF), we began, under a technical cooperation agreement, the restoration of the former hotel del Salto to convert it into a Tequendama House Museum.
The project began as an open house, allowing the public to visit the work and the exhibitions of the Heritage and Museum System of the National University of Colombia.
On 28 March, the second instance sentence of the council of state was issued in favour of the Bogotá river, which includes a special chapter for the protection of the Tequendama waterfall, ordering its immediate recovery through the permanence of its ecological and environmental flow and the declaration as a heritage asset of Colombia.
We delivered the Tequendama Museum House to the international delegation that donated the resources (EU) and we opened to the public all the museum spaces. At the end of July, the Tequendama Waterfall was declared cultural heritage of the region by a decree of the government of Cundinamarca (regional authority).
We published the book entitled El castillo de Bochica, la verdadera historia de la casa del Salto in which we present the actions carried out in the restoration of the house.
On 18 September by means of resolution 3335 the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, declared the Tequendama House Museum as an Asset of National Cultural Interest, after the application and procedures carried out by the foundation. Finally, in this year, we published the first inventory of peanut mammals in the Granja El Porvenir reserve.
On 20 November the Ministry of Environment in compliance with the sentence of the Council of State and with the support of the inventories developed in the reserve farm El Porvenir, declare the Salto de Tequendama as Natural Patrimony of the Nation.
We started the quarantine forest programme, which involved nearly 1,000 people as tree adopters in the El Porvenir reserve. Our work, led by the director of the Foundation, was awarded the 2020 outstanding person of the year. We were finalists in a programme called Titanes Caracol, which rewards the best citizen initiatives to improve living conditions in Colombia. Also, we were finalists in the Green Latin America Awards.
Participation in the University of Essex's Between Rivers programme resulting in the creation of a community support network throughout the basin. Winners of Sustainable Water Management prize awarded by the Botin Foundation in Spain, 9th Edition.
We promote solutions based on the balance between human development and respect for nature. From food security to environmental education, we apply an innovative approach to ensure a positive and lasting impact over time.
We promote inclusion and leadership among children, youth, and adults in building a sustainable future. Through joint work with the community and strategic partners, we foster territorial ownership and the strengthening of the social fabric.
We actively work to protect and restore ecosystems, focusing on the recovery of the cloud forests and the water resources of the Tequendama Falls. We believe in the shared responsibility of caring for our natural heritage for present and future generations.
