What is Cartagena Turtles?
The Cartagena Turtles Club is a community that has been formed to support the restoration of Mangroves in Cartagena, Colombia. Its mission started with saving the urban mangrove ecosystem, but has grown to include development of jobs, animal and human habitat, and to help the city adapt to the flooding that comes with climate change.
As well as sequestering up to 228 tonnes of CO2e per year, the mangrove trees planted and protected in Cartagena will improve lives of people living in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, protect the city from coastal erosion, support women and their families, create ecotourism opportunities and help artisanal fishermen recover their livelihoods.
Cartagena Turtles Club will have a positive impact on six of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals in Cartagena, which despite its five-star hotels and opulent bars and restaurants in the UNESCO World Heritage Status historic center, is one of the poorest cities in Colombia.
In 60 years the mangrove has been considerably reduced in the Ciénaga de la Virgen due to the construction of houses and invasions, this is the area where our Guardians currently carry out reforestation work
Did you know...
Mangroves sequester 5 times more CO2 than other forests, but they face vulnerability and global losses over 50%. Their destruction releases significant CO2 emissions from biomass and soil carbon stocks. Urgent restoration is crucial for climate balance.
Blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes) store half of the ocean’s carbon despite covering less than 2% of the total area. Scaling up blue carbon activities becomes crucial in addressing the climate emergency. A “gourmet” blue carbon project encompasses both environmental and social impact, making it an integral part of the solution to combat climate change.
Accelerated migration to Cartagena leads to deforestation. A “gourmet blue carbon” restoration project is a potent solution to combat climate change and help those in need. “Blue carbon” stores CO2 in coastal wetlands like mangroves, crucial for the environment and vulnerable communities.
This is just the start of what The Cartagena Turtles Club can do to help Cartagena improve its natural and urban habitats.
