In 2021 thirty-four endangered South American condors (Vultur Gryphus) were found dead in the community of Ladera Norte. They were poisoned by a carcass laid out for pumas by local farmers who blamed pumas for livestock losses. The discovery caused much consternation among residents and worldwide as the pictures circulated on the Inntertube. A national day of mourning was declared. In response the community decided to declare all of its 8,150 acres a reserve for the iconic bird, and an isolated stand of white quebracho trees (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco) a tree native to the Gran Chaco region. The birds ordinarily do not live near human settlements, but here they live forty minutes away from the city of Tarija. The town of Ladera Norte persisted in the efforts to create a sanctuary for the birds, despite nearby settlements declining to the join the original plan of setting aside 141,000 acres of protected space.
The town is a small scale agricultural region producing potatoes and fruit. Farmers do not use agricultural chemicals in their food production. The landscape and ecologically sound practices gives the area tourism potential, which the founding document of the reserve states will be promoted for the community's economic benefit. Urban sprawl from Tarija is advancing toward the area resulting in land speculation. The reserve creation puts a barrier against this threat. [photo credit: Nativa Fondation]
Quebracho and Condor Natural Reserve is in the transition zone between sub-Andean forests and the western Cordillera resulting in a great variety of wild flora including the 141 acre stand of 10,000 white quebracho, the only one remaining in central Bolivia. The tree is listed as vulnerable to exploitation and habitat loss. While the Andean condors can travel 100 miles in a day, its huge range includes the reserve. The reserve also protects fox, taruca deer, puma, collared anteater, jaguarundi and jaguar, among others. It may be relatively small, but the protection provided by the residents of Ladera Norte is a higly symbolic response to a single ecological disaster. Plans are to expand the protected zone to its original 57,000 hectare size in the future. Green Kudos to Ladera Norte!