High in the Andes, Constantino Aucca Chutas is restoring ancient forests and water systems with the help of local communities and Incan tradition
It’s 5am in Peru when Constantino Aucca Chutas answers his phone. He shrugs off apologies for calling him at such an early hour, explaining that he’s shortly heading out to visit a local reforestation project. ‘It’s normal to be awake at this time,’ he says, the hint of a smile in his voice.
Aucca Chutas, a biologist and descendant of Quechuan farmers, is on a mission to restore the Polylepis forests – unique and vital ecosystems that once carpeted the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. Comprising 28 recognised shrub and tree species, Polylepis are remarkable for their ability to thrive in harsh, high-altitude environments, often growing at elevations exceeding 4,000 metres above sea level.
These forests, which grow along the main watersheds of the entire 7,000-kilometre range of the Andes, are incredibly important. The gnarled, multi-layered bark of the trees – adapted to protect against extreme temperatures and solar radiation – is typically covered in lichens and mosses. ‘Early in the morning, you can see how they catch moisture from the humidity in the air, and from the mist,’ says Aucca Chutas. ‘They look like Christmas trees, but full of water.’
The water trapped by the Polylepis trees is collected by the thick, spongy moss that blankets the forest floor. From here, it’s slowly released into the high mountain streams that feed larger rivers flowing all the way to the Pacific and Atlantic basins, even reaching as far as the mighty Amazon. ‘These forests started to disappear when European conquerors arrived on this continent, bringing with them sheep and cows. They burned the mountains to give their livestock pasture. Now we have no more than two to five per cent of the forests left.’
The critical role that Polylepis play in the Andean hydrological system has become even more apparent in recent years, with some Andean regions experiencing months without rain. ‘The worst scenario was last year in Ecuador – five months without water,’ says Aucca Chutas.
Around the globe, tree planting is increasingly being seen as a solution to a multitude of problems, including – but not limited to – desertification, air pollution, urban heat and record-breaking levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. But tree planting often isn’t the easy solution it seems to be. Many initiatives, however well intentioned, have ended in failure. Studies show that new mangrove forests in Southeast Asia often have survival rates below 20 per cent, and most of the 860,000 saplings planted by National Highways UK since 2018 – to compensate for trees felled for new roads – have died due to dry weather and poorly chosen tree species.
Perhaps the most prominent example is the ambitious Great Green Wall – a plan for a 7,000-kilometre-long, 15-kilometre-wide tree barrier across Africa’s Sahel, from Senegal to Djibouti, designed to combat desertification. Though the project continues, it has been plagued by difficulties, including high tree mortality and slow implementation. A key failure point has been the lack of community engagement; initial top–down strategies often neglected to involve local populations in the planning, planting, or, critically, the long-term care of the trees. Without local ownership and understanding of the benefits, the saplings were frequently left unprotected from grazing animals and human activity.
Aucca Chutas, however, has achieved remarkable success. Over the past seven years, his efforts have led to the planting of more than 12.5 million trees across the Andes, at selected sites in Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru. Another 10,000 square kilometres in Colombia and Venezuela are also earmarked for reforestation.
When he initially approached local Andean communities with his plans for restoring the Polylepis forests, Aucca Chutas says he was met with an unexpected response. ‘They said, “Hey, boss, we want to be part of the solution. Please, can you teach us how to grow the seedlings and how to plant them? We want to be part of that.”’ Since then, his approach has been to revive and adapt the ancient Incan practice of Minka, meaning ‘altogether, working for a common goal’. The communal work ethic, which built an empire centuries ago, is now being repurposed to rebuild a lost forest.
Aucca Chutas also points out that successful reforestation is not just about planting trees – it’s about restoring ecosystems. That means working with nature, not against it, and understanding the specific needs of the land and its people. Often, he says, external donors, eager to see rapid results, have requested planting timelines that are at odds with local ecological realities. ‘Sorry,’ Aucca Chutas says with incredulity, ‘it doesn’t work like that. You can’t just plant whenever you want; it needs to be at the right time for the species and the environment.’
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Instead, tree planting is aligned with the Andean rainy season, a crucial period when native trees naturally produce new growth and seeds. Local communities collect the seeds, bringing them to nurseries where they carefully select the strongest for planting. This entire process – from collection to planting – takes eight to ten months, with local groups diligently tending to the seedlings, ensuring they’re healthy for the next rainy season, which typically begins in November. It’s a cycle, Aucca Chutas says, that allows new seeds to be collected again as soon as the rains arrive. ‘These donors,’ he says with exasperation, ‘they think that we have a big mall where we can buy a million trees.’
By creating jobs, Aucca Chutas and his team have made conservation a tangible benefit for local communities. ‘Everybody wants to be part of the action now,’ he says, describing how he receives letters and messages weekly from people eager to join their efforts. All this hard work was recognised in 2023, when he was named a Rolex Laureate. The award, Aucca Chutas says, couldn’t have come at a better time. As well as the invaluable media exposure it brought to the project, the accompanying donation arrived just when he was struggling to secure funds for the work. ‘All the money that I received from them went straight to the communities. My wife just killed me when I decided to do that,’ he says with a laugh, ‘but they needed the funds for fire prevention and water management.’
Despite the success, Aucca Chutas says that challenges remain – primarily in continuing to secure sufficient funding to meet the enormous need for new saplings across the vast Andean range. ‘We don’t have too much funding to cover all the needs along all the Andes. We must be selective,’ he admits. ‘Each tree is US$1.50, we plant 3.55 million trees annually.’
The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative supports individuals and organizations using science to understand the world’s environmental challenges and devise solutions. Five Laureates are chosen every two years, and each receives funding to implement their project. Discover all the 2023 Rolex Laureates here.
