Private non-profit foundation · Department of La Paz, Bolivia
Living nature, strong communities. We work on biodiversity conservation, sustainable community development, environmental education and applied research in Palos Blancos and Alto Beni, in the Bolivian tropics.
About us
The Vida Nativa Foundation (FVN) is a private non-profit organisation working in the department of La Paz, Bolivia. It grew out of sustained work with Indigenous and campesino communities of the La Paz tropics, where forest conservation and household economic viability are one and the same problem.
Our approach is technical and long-term: strengthening local capacities, generating information that supports decision-making, and accompanying production systems compatible with standing forest. We do not replace local organisations — we work with them, at their request.
To contribute to biodiversity conservation and the sustainable development of communities in the department of La Paz, through programs in conservation, sustainable production, environmental education and applied research.
A La Paz tropics where wildlife, native pollinators and forests are conserved, and the communities that care for them live better because they do.
Public–private institutional coordination, permanent technical presence in the field, and capacity transfer to local organisations, with accountability reporting for every project.
Programs
Each program responds to a specific objective of the Foundation’s Statutes and is rolled out progressively over the 2027–2029 period.
Program 01
Care, temporary custody, rehabilitation and transfer of confiscated or rescued wildlife, in coordination with the competent authority and the municipal government.
Program 02
Conservation of stingless bees and promotion of meliponiculture as both a conservation practice and a complementary income source for producer families.
Program 03
Integrated solid waste management and use of organic waste to produce compost and biofertilisers for community use.
Program 04
Environmental education with schools and organisations, and applied research aimed at generating knowledge useful for local decisions and public policy.
Science for conservation
Technical information is the scarcest input in territorial management across the Bolivian tropics.
We build biodiversity baselines, characterise production systems and document management practices, so that communities, municipalities and partners decide on verifiable evidence. Results are returned first to the communities that generated them.
Propose a research collaboration
Where we work
The Foundation is authorised to operate across the department of La Paz. Initial work concentrates in the La Paz tropics, expanding progressively in line with institutional capacity.
Transparency
The Foundation is governed by its Statutes and Internal Regulations, with an oversight body independent from the Board and annual publication of results.
| Instrument | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Statutes | Purpose, governing bodies, membership regime, income sources and non-distribution clause. | Approved by founders |
| Internal Regulations | Board procedures, spending authorisation tiers, procurement, personnel, conflict of interest, and environmental and community standards. | Approved by founders |
| Pre-feasibility profile 2027–2029 | Diagnosis, programs, three-year budget and financing, risk matrix and viability analysis. | Completed |
| Legal status | Departmental recognition under Bolivian Law No. 351 and applicable departmental regulations. | in process — La Paz Departmental Government |
| Annual report and financial statements | Activity report, budget execution and opinion of the oversight body. | first publication: 2028 |
Third-party funds are administered under specific agreements, with technical and financial reporting per project. Board positions are unpaid.
Contact
For institutional partnerships, cooperation, donations or technical enquiries, write to us. We reply on working days.