Eucalyptus trees are moving in the wind. Standing in line next to a drenajtion canal. The Eucalyptus is a common tree for plantations its growing fast and the wood has a high density. Here it is used as a windbraker to avoid soil errosion in the drained fields of the Plateu. Where the Eucalyptus is established it supresses or elimates the native vegetation. The canal below the slowly moving crown of the tree was introduced into this unique landscape in 1968. With the canal system is draining the former marsh lands. The Valle Sibundoy is valley completly flat, 2300m above the sea level, and surrounded by the even higher mountains of the andes. Through this plain flows the Rio Putumayo which exits the Valley in south-west. Historically there have been marshlands in this part of the valley with a large amount of Totora (Reed) was growing. The Totora was used by the local population for matressess and other crafts. The settlements where located around the marshlands. In the 1950s settlers who came to the Valley introduced cattle farming. With a growing poputlation and rising economic pressure, through the construction of a road in the same time, the goverment decided in the 1960s to drain the marshlands of the valley as mentioned before to make more space for cows, to give more land to the peasants. Only 3% of the area is left to semi- natural flora and fauna like forest, swamps or wetlands. "The valley's natural wealth has been seriously affected by inappropriate land use." ² Today nobody is working with the Totora in Valle Sibundoy because there is none left. If you want to build a house out of wood you use Eucalyptus. What constitutes the space and apearnace of the valley changed drastically in the last 70 years..