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Under the shade of the towering trees of the Bosque Mbaracayú, the voices of the Aché, Avá Guaraní, and Pai Tavyterá peoples resonated in a new language: that of Participatory Environmental Mapping (MAP). This initiative, carried out during a mission under UNESCO’s Earth Network project, sought not only to chart the contours of the land but also to strengthen these communities’ connection to their history, their environment, and their future.

Between August and December 2024, the Bosque Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve became a living classroom. With the guidance of expert Rossana Ibañez Giménez, community leaders and young participants immersed themselves in learning Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and participatory mapping methodologies. What began with pencil and paper evolved into digital maps, enabling ancestral knowledge to merge with modern technology.

Participants identified the natural resources essential to their daily lives: water sources, medicinal trees, and farming areas, allowing every line on the map to tell a story. But they also marked threats: deforestation, the expansion of large-scale agriculture, and the incursion of illegal actors.

In one of the workshops, the Aché community highlighted the importance of the Pindó (Syagrus romanzoffiana), a tree that not only provides food and medicine but is also a symbol of their cultural identity, even appearing on the emblem of the Chupa Pou Indigenous Community.

This connection to their heritage deepened through the mission’s focus on active participation. Women and young people played a pivotal role, learning to use tools such as QGIS, Avenza Maps, and SMART. These technologies empowered them with knowledge that once seemed out of reach.

Beyond the technical learning, the experience created spaces for intergenerational dialogue. Elders shared their wisdom, while younger participants, with their digital skills, helped bridge tradition and modernity, ensuring their cultural stories lived on through new tools and perspectives.

The Bosque Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve is a land of contrasts. While the Moisés Bertoni Foundation and local communities work tirelessly for conservation and sustainable development, significant challenges persist: deforestation, socio-economic marginalisation, and pressure from drug trafficking.

However, the mission sowed seeds of hope:

• Strong community organisation: Indigenous communities demonstrated commitment and leadership throughout the process.
• Interest in technology: GIS training has expanded possibilities for territorial management.
• Strategic alliances: The Moisés Bertoni Foundation remains a key actor in mediation and capacity-building efforts.

The work does not end here. Participants now face the challenge of replicating their learning within their communities and collectively validating the generated maps.

From the expert’s perspective, the mission was not just about mapping land but about empowering communities to take ownership of their territory and resources. Rossana Ibañez Giménez concluded that the participatory process strengthened local capacities, fostered intergenerational dialogue, and demonstrated that Indigenous communities are the true guardians of their lands.

However, the work does not end here. The next steps, as identified by the expert, include:

• Continuing the periodic follow-up with communities until the Participatory Environmental Mapping (MAP) process is fully validated and shared within and beyond the participatory villages.
• Exploring ways to assess and refine the mapping tools based on the communitie’s experience and feedback.
• Encouraging the involvement of children in the mapping process, ensuring that future generations inherit both knowledge and responsibility for their land.

As the expert emphasised, this mapping initiative is more than a technical exercise – it is a pathway towards self-determination, environmental stewardship, and cultural resilience. In the end, a true map does not just show where we are, but also where we are heading as communities, as custodians of biodiversity, and as guardians of the future.