Pura Terra recently became an active partner of the Coral Reef Restoration Team in Curaçao. The Team’s primary projects are the development and maintenance of several coral reef nurseries on the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean Sea. The nurseries are located in the areas of Caracasbaii, Tugboat Beach, Jan Thiel, Daaibooi, Marie Pompoen, and Lagun and currently include six separate genotypes of a single coral species. The Team’s research includes monitoring changes in the health and development of this coral species based on environmental variables. This will benefit global understanding of how human activities and climate change impact coral reef systems so that mitigation can be more effective in the future.
Pura Terra also is an active partner with Sea Turtle Conservation – Curaçao. Current projects include collecting data on sea turtle population changes, preserving and protecting turtle nesting areas, and conducting research on Fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating disease that impacts sea turtles globally. The Team also promotes education on sea turtles and assists in rescue and rehabilitation of injured sea turtles.
Pura Terra currently is researching the use of ethnobotanical species in forest and forest-adjacent indigenous communities. We are identifying forest-related food and medicinal plant species, recording the ongoing management and conservation by indigenous communities, and evaluating the most sustainable and socially just methods of harvest. Our goal is to support livelihoods for indigenous communities while maintaining healthy ecosystems. We also hope that by recording traditional uses of forest products, indigenous rights can be preserved.
Pura Terra also is supporting research on Healthy Soils being conducted by Dr. Jack Gilbert at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. The project focuses on developing and implementing sustainable agricultural practices, beginning with the use of a specially chosen and cultivated microbial community. It includes field trials with farms in the Kumeyaay Nation to assist in increasing yields for tribal communities.
Pura Terra currently is supporting a “Youth For Change” climate resiliency fellowship program in partnership with Magic Bus Foundation. Pura Terra is providing financial support for nine active fellows, including covering program costs and a monthly stipend. The fellows are each pursuing projects that will help mitigate the impacts of climate change, as well as engage their local communities to foster behavioral change that will further contribute towards mitigation.
Additionally, Pura Terra is working with the Clinton Foundation in mentoring their 2024-2025 cohort of climate resiliency fellows. Pura Terra also is helping early-stage investors like Arise Ventures to evaluate opportunities to support climate-change focused ventures, in addition to advising large energy companies on the transition to renewables and developing stronger sustainable business practices.
Pura Terra Foundation ardently protects Earth’s resources and indigenous cultures, promoting knowledge and sustainable practices to enrich all life.
