This year, an entire community that voluntarily decided to participate in the protection of the Giant South-American river turtle, a critically endangered species, will be present during its nesting season. This process, which has been overseen by Proyecto Vida Silvestre for seven years, now has a new perspective: the empowerment of the community of the Santa María de la Virgen village, making this task progressively more autonomous and sustainable.

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The purpose of 33 conservation agreements signed with an equal number of peasant families in Colombia’s Central Range is to make certain habitual production activities of rural life more eco-friendly, especially with the water resources of this Andean region. What does this conservation strategy consist of? We invite you to read this story.

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The Alliance for Wildlife and Forests developed a website that includes activities, progress and results in the combat against wildlife and timber trafficking in Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia and Brazil.

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An article published in the magazine of the Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (Academy of Physics, Exact and Natural Sciences), based on the experience of Proyecto Vida Silvestre (PVS) (Project Wildlife), concludes that conservation work with a certain group of important species redounds in the welfare of others.

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In San José del Salado and El Limonar, two localities of this municipality of the Department of Valle del Cauca, owners of farms joined the strategy that allocates areas within the properties for the consolidation of a biological corridor to maintain the biodiversity.

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The project 'Rio Saldaña – Una cuenca de vida' monitors the quality of this vital resource in the Siquila, Amoyá y Cucuana Rivers, to identify the pressures affecting it, take corrective action to strengthen its care and teach communities to preserve it.

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This species (Styracura pacifica) had always been reported in Central America, but a study of the Fundación MarViva, Fundación Squalus and WCS shows that its distribution is wider because it includes the Colombian Pacific and possibly Ecuador.

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Pest and disease control, seed dispersal, pollination and hundreds of food chains are some of the affected processes when native animals are extracted from their habitats to become pets or to be sold abroad.

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The work of Police patrolmen and their dogs, known as canine binomials, is decisive to curb the illegal commerce of species. One of them, for instance, found 3200 turtles that were about to be trafficked from the Leticia airport (Amazon). However, the country has very few of these detection teams, while the crime is progressively more sophisticated.

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Silvia Restrepo, Vice President for Research and Creation at Universidad de los Andes, talks about the conclusions of the document related with environment and biotechnology that she coordinated.and that formed part of the final text that the International Mission of Wise Men submitted to the Government. It is a roadmap that draws a picture of a Colombian territory that exploits its biological resources adequately.

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Raúl Buitrago has worked for three decades at El Cocuy National Park, one of the most attractive reserve areas in Colombia. The expeditions throughout this reserve zone fill the stories of this man, who represents the dozens of park rangers who monitor the 59 national protected areas, administrated by National Natural Parks, entity that completes this month 60 years of existence.

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Two biologists from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, designed and edited the booklet Mamíferos de Bogotá (Mammals of Bogotá) that describes 20 species of vertebrates living in the city. They seek to call attention to the importance of these animals. Among the species presented are the Andean bear, the tiger cat, the paramo tapir, the puma, the white-tailed deer and other smaller ones such as the red-tailed squirrel and the hoary bat. It is a coloring booklet.

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Landowners in this town of Cesar are protecting the surroundings of the San Fernandera-Caracoli stream, one of the few places in the Atlantic Coast where the reptile still reproduces in a healthy fashion. With the support of WCS, they control livestock to prevent contamination, plant trees and avoid sand extraction and hunting. Dahl's toad-headed turtle, one of Colombia`s four endemic turtles, is in critical danger of extinction.

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Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is a global pact that seeks to involve companies and public-private sectors towards the elimination, in productive chains, of processes that generate deforestation. We talked with Javier Ortiz, TFA coordinator for Colombia, who informs that the country is already advancing with this purpose, through the consolidation of agreements within the palm oil, beef, dairy, cocoa and coffee sectors.

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The National Natural Park Selva de Florencia, located in Caldas, is the national protected area with the highest number of threatened amphibians for its size in Colombia. Through the Strategy for the Conservation of Threatened Amphibians and to recover its populations, WCS Colombia, Corpocaldas (Regional Autonomous Corporation of Caldas) and National Natural Parks, teamed together with communities, launched a crusade to protect stream vegetation, plant native flora and control the advance of cattle.

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This is one of the four species of endemic turtles in Colombia and one of the least studied. This region of Chocó, where in 2017 the creation of a protected zone was made official, would guarantee the future of this reptile, also known as ‘cabeza de trozo’, and in vulnerable condition due precisely to its reduced distribution. WCS Colombia and Turtle Survival Alliance will soon initiate a research in this region, to monitor its populations.

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Research in the Magdalena-Cauca basin proves that through unique calls, perceptible to the human ear, the Magdalena River prochilodus or bocachico and the moino fish (or comelón) let females know that they are ready to fertilize their ovules and ensure the birth of new fish.  The research, led through hydroacoustic systems by Silvia López Casas, PhD in biology, supports new arguments for the establishment of conservation measures for these species.

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Besides the impact on biodiversity, wildlife trafficking increases the risk of zoonotic diseases that can be fatal and reflect the bond imbalance between humans and animals. Rabies, Psittacosis, Leishmaniasis, Leptospirosis, Brucellosis and Covid 19 are some of them. WCS Colombia is developing a program to mitigate illegal wildlife trade and, consequently, the surge of these infections which represent 75 percent of emerging diseases in humans.   

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In September, the Alexander von Humboldt Institute celebrates the 25th anniversary of its foundation. This organization is in charge of investigating our natural resources, to contribute with their conservation and sustainable use. We talked with its Director, Hernando García, on the challenges he faces in these times of enormous pressures on paramos, forests and other strategic ecosystems. A fourth part of a century seems like a long time, but it can also be only the beginning.

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With the images gathered, researchers will make an analysis of the occupation of ungulates or hoofed mammals, as the tapir, to adapt environmental management measures in the protected area. The camera traps will give clues on the status of this type of fauna usually hunted, for food, by the ethnic groups that live in the protected area.

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In the midst of the identification of the Ecological Structure (conservation area network) for this part of the department, basis for its sustainable land use plan, a WCS Colombia team identified 24 species of amphibians, 227 of birds, 14 of reptiles, 53 of mammals, 64 of bees and 439 of plants, in parts of forests located within a territory pressured by livestock farming and agriculture and in which only 20 percent of the original natural ecosystems survives.

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Érika Nadachovsky, of the Regional Environmental Authority of Risaralda (Carder), talks of the recuperation of 258 hectares of paramo within Los Nevados National Natural Park, degraded by livestock farming, an initiative of the project ‘Proyecto Páramos Biodiversidad y Recursos Hídricos en los Andes del Norte’, financed by the European Union. Nine thousand native plants were planted, with the aim of restoring original paramo landscapes in part of the ecosystem.

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The consequences of illegal traffic in animals extracted from forests or jungles in Colombia, are usually irreversible. Few can return to their habitats, because the physical abuse they receive inhibits their capacity to feed and fend for themselves and many lose their hunting instincts when they are domesticated. It is ironic, but the recovery of their freedom becomes a challenge that few can overcome. We learned about the attempts of the Reserve La Ñupana to rehabilitate species that have suffered this calamity and its efforts to set them free in the jungles of Guaviare. 

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The scientific magazine Current Biology recently published that more than half of the planet’s 360 species of continental turtles and tortoises are in danger of extinction. After 400 thousand years of sharing space with mankind, they live their worst crisis due to illegal traffic that transforms them into pets, the use of their parts for the production of supposedly miracle drugs and the destruction of their habitats, among other threats. Germán Forero-Medina, Science Director of WCS Colombia, is coauthor of this global report and explains that in Latin America it is still possible to rescue them and prevent their disappearance.

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Diego Lizcano, one of the Colombians that knows more about tapirs and especially Tapirus pinchaque, talks of the importance of this species that silently regenerates the vegetation of paramos and Andean forests of the country, amid deforestation processes that have it trapped and endangered

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In Caldas, 16 foxes of the Cerdocyon thous species perished, when they contracted Canine Distemper, an infectious and contagious disease very common among canines, which was transmitted by domestic dogs that had been abandoned by their owners.

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A study published in the Regional Studies in Marine Science journal indicates that the future of elasmobranchs in this region of the country depends largely on the fact that the authorities continue preventing the capture of these cartilaginous fish, as is done today. Giving a minimum opportunity to the extraction of these important marine animals, could put their sustainability at risk.

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A research led by Catalina Gutiérrez, Country Director of WCS Colombia, proved that biological corridors, generally designed and implemented for vertebrates, also contribute to the preservation of bees, especially those that require forests to survive. Corridors provide them with food and places to build their nests and help them connect between populations. The study was conducted in the Barbas-Bremen Soil Conservation District in Quindío, Colombia.

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The communities that form part of the project ‘Río Saldaña, una cuenca de vida’, are determined to protect this vital resource with the implementation of responsible practices at their farms, such as basic sanitation, management of organic waste and ecological restoration, leading to sustainable agriculture and livestock farming.

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In Choachí (Cundinamarca) Carlos Ríos, a man of peasant origin, dedicated his farm to the conservation of Atelopus lozanoi, an endemic harlequin frog that disappeared at the beginning of the century and was rediscovered in 2016. WCS joins Parques Nacionales de Colombia to support this conservation effort with monitoring, environmental education and productive projects.  

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The Colombian Plant Specialist Group, led by Cristina López, biologist of Universidad de Antioquia, is working on the most updated Red List of Colombian Plants, with the purpose of implementing conservation plans. The project is endorsed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute.

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Biologists of Universidad del Tolima found a population of the harlequin frog Atelopus subornatus, that had not been seen in 24 years. The discovery is crucial, because the country has lost stable populations of at least 38 species of this genus. As part of its Strategy for the Conservation of Threatened Amphibians, WCS Colombia is supporting investigations to obtain population data and implement actions for its conservation

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Between Vichada and Arauca, one of the most important regions in the country for the reproduction of this species, WCS Colombia installed transmitters to a group of turtles to investigate their behavior and their movements along the Meta River.  Depending on the results, the application of more precise conservation strategies to help restrain the extinction of the reptile will be possible.

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A study published in the Scientific Reports magazine that analyzed the condition of 39 national protected areas, reveals that, in 31 of them, deforestation has grown 177 percent after the peace agreement was signed. The investigation was led by Nicola Clerici, professor at the Universidad del Rosario; Germán Forero, Science Director at WCS Colombia, participated. 

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A renewed and updated digital space informs on the scenarios where conflicts between development and conservation of natural resources can be settled, explains how to give an adequate use to biodiversity goods and advises on alternatives to obtain off-sets. It was developed by WCS Colombia with the support of the Santo Domingo Foundation.

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An investigation in which WCS Colombia participated highlights wetlands as important ecosystems for the subsistence of the felid, whose populations are greatly affected because deforestation and the expansion of agriculture and stockbreeding have deteriorated its habitat.

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A team researches one of them, called Oophaga lehmanni, to reproduce it in captivity and reintroduce it to its habitat. Physically attractive due to its vivid colors, it is one of the most trafficked species.

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In a 120 hectare terrain, WCS Colombia, in cooperation with Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) y Rainforest Trust, will stimulate the healthy conservation and reproduction of the reptile, whose wild populations are isolated due to the deterioration of the dry forest, its main habitat.  The species Mesoclemmys dahli, as it is scientifically known, only lives in the Colombian Caribbean (endemic)

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This site, home to forests, birds, amphibians and mammals and source of water for several aqueducts in Salamina (Caldas), faces deforestation and agricultural pressure. WCS Colombia included it as a priority area during the identification of the Main Ecological Structure of the Northern Subregion of this department and as part of a contract with the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Caldas (Corpocaldas).

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WCS Colombia shares with you the new edition of the informative boulletin "En Terreno". 

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WCS Colombia shares the new edition of its bulletin En Terreno.

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WCS Colombia  shares the new edition of its newsletter En Terreno.

Its contents include details of the initial activities of the project "Río Saldaña, una cuenca de vida" -Saldaña River, a basin of life-, and a note on the haciendas that hace supported the conservation initiatives in Magdalena Medio.

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WCS Colombia shares the new edition of its newsletter En Terreno.

It includes details about the start of work in the Farallones de Cali NNP to benefit threatened amphibians, and an article about the approach to Cravo Norte (Arauca) communities as a breakthrough to support National Parks in the protection of new areas of the country.

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WCS Colombia shares the new edition of its newsletter En Terreno.

It includes an article about the first collectivization of the project “Saldaña River, a basin of life" and details of the SNAPP support for a study about the impact of climate change on land use in the Colombian Orinoco región.

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WCS Colombia shares the new edition of its newsletter "En Terreno".

It includes information about the participation of WCS Colombia in the past XII Cimfauna and the signing of an agreement in favor of the Saldaña river basin.

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Public-private partnership for the main tributary of the Magdalena River in Tolima.

National Parks of Colombia, Cementos Argos, and WCS Colombia finalized the agreement that hopes to mitigate threats affecting the supply of environmental resources related to the upper reaches of the Saldaña river, initially prioritizing the subbasins of Siquila and Cambrin.

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The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) seeks a Knowledge Manager to join the team of our Andes-Amazon Region.  This position provides an opportunity for an outstanding professional with a relevant academic background (M.A./M.S. or higher) and work experience to join a cohesive, passionate, and committed team to save some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and wild places on Earth. The position is based in Lima, Peru, and entails close collaboration with colleagues in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and the New York headquarters, as well as with WCS’s partners.

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This position provides an opportunity for an outstanding professional with a relevant academic background (M.A./M.S. or higher) and work experience to join a cohesive, passionate, and committed team to save some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and wild places on Earth. The Amazon Waters Citizen Science Project Coordinator position is based in Peru or Brazil, has extensive travel requirements, and entails close collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders in those countries, as well as with other Amazon countries and globally.

To apply for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to (WCSlatinamerica@wcs.org), Ref.:Amazon Waters Citizen Science Project Coordinator. Please include at least three references and your salary expectations. Also, note that interviews will be carried out in Spanish and Portuguese.

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The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) seeks a dynamic, well-organized and hard-working Program Officer to join the management team of our Andes-Amazon Region.  This position provides an opportunity for an outstanding professional with a relevant academic background (B.A./B.S. or higher) and work experience to join a cohesive, passionate, and committed team to save some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and wild places on Earth. The position is based in Lima, Peru, and entails close collaboration with colleagues in Bolivia, Brasil, Ecuador, Peru, and the New York headquarters.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to (WCSlatinamerica@wcs.org), Ref.: Program Officer, Andes-Amazon Region.

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The emblematic Orinoco Crocodile or Crocodylus intermedius, a critically endangered species, has been given a new opportunity for its conservation.

Twenty Orinoco crocodiles (Crocodylus intermedius) were reintroduced into their natural environment on Tuesday at El Tuparro Natural National Park, a site that had already received 21 specimens of this critically endangered species back in May 2015.

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Please apply online at www.wcs.org/about-us/careers and send a cover letter and CV with the subject line “Director, Marine Conservation and Fisheries - [your name]” to marineprogram@wcs.org.

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The XII International Congress of Wildlife Management in Amazonia and Latin America, which will take place inQuito, Ecuador, from August 8th to August 12th, 2016 in the campus of Universidad San Francisco de Quito. 

This conference is open to all students and professionals involved in the management of wildlife in the region and aims to foster interaction, strengthen links, and exchange knowledge related to the research and conservation of wildlife in the Neotropics.

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The Wildlife Conservation Society seeks to employ a regional wildlife trafficking coordinator to manage a growing portfolio of projects in the region that address this challenge and to provide expertise to country programs in the areas of law enforcement and the dismantling of trafficking networks. 

The objective of this position is to support the long-term conservation of wildlife species through strengthening our response in Latin America to the illegal trade in - and demand for - wildlife and wildlife products. 

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A talk between the Biodiversa Colombia Foundation (FBC) and the Antioquia Ornithological Society (SAO) in the roundtable discussion "The story with the birds."

The last Medellin Birds Festival of 2015 offered a space where researchers of FBC and SAO shared their experiences and work towards preserving the Blue-billed Curassow (Crax alberti). This constitutes actions that are part of the Vida Silvestre Project (PVS) in the Middle Magdalena.

This was an excellent opportunity to discuss the strategy of the Biodiversa Colombia Foundation, together with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), advancing in the forest swamps of Barbacoas, (Antioquia). There, deforestation and forest fragmentation, among other reasons, have affected this bird to such an extent that she is now in a critical state of threat.

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We are talking about a nursery located on the Bendición premises, in the village of La Esmeralda in Puerto Carreño (Vichada). Around 40 neighbors of the Bita river participated in its construction, including children, youngsters and adults. All of this took place under the leadership of the NGO Yoluka and as one of the activities proposed under Project Wildlife (Proyecto Vida Silvestre).

During the event, participants delved into the characteristics of the Moriche Palm, from their geographical distribution and the time that they produce fruit, to what animals benefit from them and feed on it (tapirs, fish, parrots, etc.). They were also taught about the way the palm reproduces and that this is a dioecious species, that is, having both male and female individuals, (which can be differentiated by their flowers), facts that many people do not know.

NGO Yoluka and Project Wildlife (Proyecto Vida Silvestre) hope that the nursery project "Harmony" will become a core education for those living in the area, whose active cooperation helps in the restoration and protection of Orinoquía landscape.

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Training workshops offered by the Orinoquía Biodiversa Foundation in the context of the Project Wildlife (Vida Silvestre)

The communities of the middle and lower basin of the Bita river, in the villages of La Esmeralda and El Merey, municipality of Puerto Carreño (Vichada), were the beneficiaries of this activity. There, the practice of and theory on land management blended together.

The environment provided an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge between the locals and researchers of the Orinoquía Biodiversa Foundation, an institution that advances conservation actions towards the Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), in the eastern plains (Llanos Orientales) of the country.

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The sharing of results happened through the virtual seminar "Presentation of results: Research Grant Program in the Andean Amazon". There, WCS showed the progress of the investigation "Identification of geographical areas and priority guidelines for the effective implementation of compensations for loss of biodiversity in the Andean Amazon of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru."

It is noteworthy that these studies are part of the work carried out under the Conservation Initiative in the Andean Amazon (ICAA), coordinated by Conservation Strategy.

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On August 28^th the final reports of the project "Design and implementation of the monitoring program of Tuparro National Park as a core area of the Biosphere Reserve" were ready. This is the first monitoring program formulated for a nationally protected area, under the framework of adaptive management.

For two years and three months, researchers from the WCS Colombia program, the Institute for Scientific Research Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH) and the Red de Reserva de la Sociedad Civil (Resnatur), worked on the design of the monitoring framework and implementation hereof. Everybody was included, from the team of officials of Tuparro National Park, to the directors of Territorial Orinoquía and the subdirectors of management of the Colombian National Parks authorities.

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In this protected area, located between the departments of Quindío and Risaralda, a study was conducted in which 67 bee species of the 604 registered in Colombia were found. Forests, pastures, crops and housing are among the places where these insects were found.

The information of the discussed study was obtained between May 2014 and September 2015. As part of this, we present the brochure Bees in Barbas-Bremen, which had the support of the University of Freiburg (Germany), Colciencias, the Rufford Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, the ICESI University and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute.

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Following Crocodylus intermedius specimens who were recently released in the Tuparro National Park

Through monitoring and tracking, 8 individuals were located in the vicinity of the Tomo River (Vichada); this work has seen great progress due to radio transmitters that were installed in 12 of the 21 reintroduced alligators last May.

These tracking routes are being conducted by researchers from the Casanare Palmarito Foundation, the organization that leads the protection of this species in the Eastern Plains (Llanos Orientales) of Colombia. It forms part of Project Wildlife (Proyecto Vida Silvestre), which is a conservation initiative led by WCS Colombia and Ecopetrol, with the support of the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation.

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Event to form a working group for the Striped Catfish in the Middle Magdalena

The meeting was held under the direction of the Wetlands Foundation (Fundación Humedales), an organization that carries out conservation actions for this species in the Middle Magdalena (Magdalena Medio).

The main objective of the meeting was to discuss and agree on establishing an instrument that allows to join institutional and community forces to optimize conservation work for the Striped Catfish. Similarly, this instrument should aim to help improve the conditions of the fishermen in the Middle Magdalena basin.

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Los ejemplares fueron vistos en sabanas del predio La Reina, en la cuenca media del río Bita (Vichada). Esta zona se encuentra en proceso para ser declarada Reserva Natural de la Sociedad Civil (RNSC).

Investigadores de WCS, Fundación Orinoquia Biodiversa, Yoluka ONG y personas de la comunidad, fueron los afortunados al poder ver directamente a estos mamíferos. Las dantas generalmente son muy esquivas, por lo que verlas en condiciones naturales es toda una suerte.

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Se trata de dos viveros construidos con ayuda de los propietarios y trabajadores de los predios El Pajonal y Mi Familia, aledaños al río Bita, en el Vichada. Allí,  abarcando un área de 200m² en cada propiedad, ocho mil semillas (aproximadamente 100 kilos) de la especie Mauritia flexuosa y otros árboles nativos, esperan convertirse en las plántulas que luego permitirán la restauración de los morichales degradados en la zona.

En esta actividad, el apoyo técnico de Yoluka ONG y el Proyecto Vida Silvestre se combinó con los aportes, experiencias y el conocimiento de la comunidad participante en esta tarea.  Esto permitió abrir un espacio no solo para investigar, producir y educar sobre la importancia del moriche, sino también, para fomentar la conservación en la cuenca del río Bita y el ecosistema comprendido a su alrededor.

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This was a series of visits where the exchange of knowledge and experiences by owners of different properties, led to the sharing of various experiences regarding the implementation and management of the privately owned reserves. The reason hereof is that the education and training of so-called "local actors" is critical to the success of any project. All of this took place in line with the 073 agreement from 2014 signed between WCS and the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca (CVC).

This tour of sharing experiences resulted in an excellent environment to motivate different landowners, and served as a basis for enriching ideas on how to manage farm estates. 

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Exploring the swamps of the municipality of Montecristo (southern Bolívar, northern limit of the Serranía de San Lucas), a group of researchers found, through direct observations and testimonies of locals, the presence of several species of wildlife that currently face some level of threat.

This was the case for, among others, the River turtle (Podocnemis lewyana), the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), the jaguar (Panthera onca), the endemic freshwater fish (Prochilodus magdalenae), the Neotropical catfish (Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum) and the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus).

There is no doubt that the presence of these and other species in the wetlands of southern Bolívar, highlights the ecological value of the region, and fully justifies all conservation efforts that have been made to protect both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife that exists here.

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Es una actividad que forma parte del programa de conservación del Crocodylus intermedius

La Fundación Palmarito Casanare, con el acompañamiento de WCS Colombia, invitó a instituciones educativas, pescadores y comunidad en general, a conocer más sobre la especie emblema de los Llanos Orientales: el caimán llanero o caimán del Orinoco.

El principal objetivo de estas socializaciones fue dar a conocer los detalles del programa de conservación del caimán llanero, en particular por la reciente liberación de varios de estos individuos que se llevó a cabo en el Parque Nacional Natural el Tuparro. Asimismo, estos espacios también fueron aprovechados para brindar información adecuada en torno a este reptil, buscando desmitificar su peligrosidad.

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Los ejemplares fueron vistos en la ciénaga de la Sanjuana y el caño San Juan, cuerpos de agua que pertenecen a ese municipio. Allí, nunca antes se había evidenciado la presencia de esta especie.

La confirmación fue hecha por investigadores de Cabildo Verde Sabana de Torres, organización ambiental que ha venido trabajando por la protección del manatí el Caribe en esta zona del Magdalena Medio. Esto, en el marco del Proyecto Vida Silvestre.

Además de los avistamientos, también se encontraron heces y evidencias de comederos de manatí. Este animal es el único mamífero acuático netamente herbívoro, y puede llegar a consumir cantidades significativas de vegetación asociadas a ríos, ciénagas y humedales. Adicionalmente, sus excrementos ayudan a fertilizar las aguas y sirven de alimento para distintas clases de peces que comparten su hábitat.

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It was the third and last day scheduled for this year (and eighth overall) within the monitoring program of the Penelope perspicax, a bird species commonly called the Cauca guan. 

This study is being developed in the National Forest Reserve Yotoco, a wilderness area that has become an important shelter for several species of fauna and flora in the Cauca Valley.

On the monitoring walks, covering 18.4 km, six individuals of the Cauca guan species were observed in different areas of the forest. On average, this is fewer than on previous monitoring walks. All these data will be used in the final analysis that will result in the estimated number of guans in 2015, for the Yotoco Reserve.

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PROYECTO VIDA SILVESTRE ENTREGA CERTIFICADOS A QUIENES PROTEGEN ESE REPTIL

La distinción fue otorgada a once habitantes de las comunidades de Nueva Antioquia, municipio La Primavera (Vichada), y de la vereda La Virgen, del municipio Cravo Norte (Arauca). Durante la temporada reproductiva de 2015, los nuevos padrinos adoptivos recibieron capacitación en el cuidado de nidadas de esa tortuga (Podocnemis expansa).

Esta actividad forma parte de las acciones de conservación que la Fundación Omacha lleva a cabo por esta especie en el marco del Proyecto Vida Silvestre. Específicamente, esta iniciativa en pro de la Charapa se viene desarrollando, en los Llanos Orientales, en la cuenca media y baja del río Meta, entre los departamentos de Arauca, Casanare y Vichada.

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Fue un taller organizado por Parques Nacionales Naturales y WCS, que forma parte del proceso de declaratoria de la Serranía de San Lucas como nueva área protegida para el país. La fundación campesina Funcopromas y los habitantes de la vereda San Juan, en el municipio Santa Rosa del Sur (Bolívar), fueron los principales invitados.

A esta actividad también fue invitado un miembro de la vereda Ojos Claros (municipio de Remedios, Antioquia), para que comentara acerca de su aprendizaje como guía en la caracterización biológica de la zona sur. Su vivencia permitió el intercambio de experiencia local  sobre el uso de la fauna y de la flora en su región, y, de la misma forma, discutir la opinión personal y de su comunidad (zona de reserva campesina del valle del río Cimitarra  -ACVC-) acerca de lo que implica un área protegida en la serranía de San Lucas.

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Investigadores de WCS y Parques Nacionales Naturales se reunieron con integrantes de la Asociación de Reserva Campesina del Valle del río Cimitarra (ACVC) y habitantes de algunas veredas de los municipios de Remedios y Segovia, en Antioquia, para presentar los avances en el proceso de declaratoria de una nueva área protegida para el país: la serranía de San Lucas.

Los talleres, especialmente dirigidos a los líderes de las Juntas de Acción Comunal y demás personas que vienen siendo partícipes de este proceso, sirvieron como un excelente espacio para aclarar diversos conceptos alrededor de lo que significa la conservación en un área protegida.

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Se trató de las sexta y séptima jornadas del programa de monitoreo participativo de Penelope perspicax, especie de pava conocida como Pava Caucana. Dicho estudio se lleva a cabo en la Reserva Nacional Forestal Bosque de Yotoco, importante laboratorio ambiental ubicado en la cordillera Occidental, en el Valle del Cauca.

El monitoreo participativo es un ejercicio planeado y acordado con entes académicos de la región, que ha permitido evaluar periódicamente el estado de la población de la especie y establecer que la Reserva de Yotoco es un lugar muy importante para esta ave.

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With the help of camera traps and observation walks, WCS researchers reported that the wildlife which is part of the species portfolio of Wildlife Project (PVS), inhabits the same territories as other animals.

In the Magdalena Medio, after the camera traps were 60 days in place, researchers detected the Blue-billed curassow (Crax alberti), the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Paca rodents (Cuniculus paca), and Agouti rodents (Dasyprocta punctata). Meanwhile, observation walks led to detect Brown Spider monkeys (Ateles hybridus) and White-fronted capuchin monkeys (Cebus versicolor).

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For the implementation of Agreement 073 of 2014, signed by the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Valle del Cauca (CVC) and WCS for the promotion and registration of 20 privately owned nature reserves (in the municipalities of Restrepo and La Cumbre in the Cauca Valley), a participatory workshop was held in relation to the selection and qualification of objectives and targets.

Finally, all the collected information served as the main input for the first drafts of action plans to be implemented in each property. These were structured by the components of conservation, sustainable production and community empowerment.

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Con la ponencia “Monitoreo de dos especies endémicas y amenazadas de Colombia: Penelope perspicax y Crax alberti (Aves: Galliformes)”, investigadores de WCS participaron en el X Congreso de Ornitología Neotropical que se celebró el pasado mes de julio en la ciudad de Manaos, Brasil.

Nuestros investigadores compartieron los resultados del primer año de monitoreo realizado con cámaras trampa a la especie Crax allberti, ave comúnmente conocida como Paujil de Pico Azul.

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CARTOGRAFÍA SOCIAL EN TORNO A ESPECIES AMENAZADAS

Los habitantes de la vereda Riberas del San Juan, en el municipio de Cimitarra (Santander), realizaron un taller de cartografía social en el que ellos mimos elaboraron mapas con los que describieron su territorio.

Uno de los principales objetivos del taller era identificar cómo los habitantes de esa importante región del país, perciben el lugar donde viven. Esto, teniendo en cuenta diferentes aspectos de su realidad: ubicación geogáfica, condición social, los ecosistemas que allí existen y los animales con los que conviven.

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Wildlife Conservation Society se unió a Red Viva, iniciativa para conservar la biodiversidad en agroecosistemas colombianos de la que forman parte instituciones de índole nacional y regional. Estas trabajan por la conservación y la investigación de la fauna y la flora, y por el bienestar de las comunidades agrícolas rurales. Red Viva quiere aprovechar el trabajo colaborativo entre diferentes instituciones para identificar las buenas prácticas de manejo y producción existentes en diversos agroecosistemas en Colombia.

Red Viva une a instituciones y a personas que trabajan o se interesan por la preservación de los paisajes rurales de Colombia, es decir, a quienes integran esos esfuerzos ya existentes cuyo principal objetivo es favorecer el quehacer de las comunidades agrícolas rurales, la conservación de la biodiversidad y la protección de los ecosistemas.

Haz parte de Red Viva. Acoge a las viajeras sin maleta en tu finca.

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Spider monkeys and curassows brought together the people from the Magdalena Medio

One of the main objectives associated with this activity was to establish how the community living in this region recognize these species and consider them part of their environment.

In addition, the meeting also served as an exchange of knowledge between those who did the embroidery and the scientific team working with both species.

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The National Parks of Colombia authorities led the process of drafting the proposal for the declaration of a new national protected area, in this case in the Serrania de San Lucas, at a recent meeting where different organizations took part, among which institutions, foundations and partners working on this important idea.

At the meeting, held in Bogotá, each organization presented its own initiative. In addition, there was room for dialogue and exchange of experiences for the formation of agreements and planning of an integrated management of the territory.

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Planting day to contribute to the recovery the Brown Spider monkey’s habitat. 

Species like the ‘Caracolí’, the ‘guamo’ and the ‘dilodendron’, were included in this planting, whose area covered approximately three hectares.

Residents of the community Bocas del Carare, representatives of the municipality of Puerto Parra (Santander) and members of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS Colombia), participated enthusiastically in the activity.

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NGO Yoluka, one of the ten organizations, led the planting of 200 Moriche palms. This happened in the Natural Reserve La Pedregoza and the estate named “El Bolsillo”.

Keep in mind that the Moriche palm is recognized as an excellent water purifier, and an important part of the landscape of the Llanos Orientales Unfortunately, increasing changes in the use of land have led to population declines.

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Entre el 24 y el 27 de septiembre de este año, Colombia será el país anfitrión del II encuentro Bienal que organizan Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) seccional Latinoamérica, la Asociación de Veterinarios de Vida Silvestre (VVS) y la Universidad de La Salle.

Este evento pretende dar a conocer la creciente investigación sobre las enfermedades y situaciones de salud en la fauna silvestre, tanto en Colombia como en América Latina. 

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Organizaciones conservacionistas con una amplia experiencia tanto en el uso de herramientas de monitoreo como en la aplicación de la ley, junto con un equipo de ingenieros expertos en programas informáticos, han desarrollado la Herramienta de Monitoreo e Información Espacial, SMART. 

Las prácticas que ofrece SMART permiten a los administradores de las áreas protegidas y la vida silvestre optimizar el monitoreo, la evaluación y el manejo adaptativo de sus actividades de patrullaje. Este programa facilita la recopilación de información, el análisis y la generación de reportes que ayudan a dirigir los esfuerzos y recursos hacia donde más se necesiten. 

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A partir del reconocimiento que existe sobre la necesidad de contar con propuestas claras en materia de compensaciones, WCS presenta "Orientaciones para el diseño de compensaciones por pérdida de biodiversidad".

Este documento incorpora los conceptos básicos en este campo, recoge las buenas prácticas internacionales e incluye los diferentes requerimientos que exige el manual, que en el año 2012, mediante la Resolución 1517 del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (MADS), el país adoptó para la asignación de compensaciones por pérdida de biodiversidad. Esto, con el fin de determinar y cuantificar las medidas de compensación.

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El evento contó con panelistas del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, de la ANLA, de las Empresas Públicas de Medellín, de Ecoflora, además de los anfitriones.

Representantes de empresas como Ecopetrol, Empresa de Energía de Bogotá, Oleoducto Bicentenario, ANDI y Andesco, al igual que autoridades ambientales como Parques Nacionales Naturales, también participaron activamente de este espacio.

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Los escenarios fueron las playas El Control y la Belleza en los departamentos de Arauca y Vichada, respectivamente. En ambos lugares, niños y adultos de las veredas La Virgen y la Inspección Nueva Antioquia, participaron activamente.

Este evento marcó la finalización del periodo de cuidado de playas y nidadas de tortuga Charapa, que desde enero de 2015 viene realizándose en esta zona del país.

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Actividades como la caza, la pesca, la extracción de productos del bosque y los incendios provocados, al igual que los cultivos de uso no lícito y el turismo no regulado, fueron definidos como factores externos que pueden llegar a afectar negativamente los VOC, modificando su calidad y cantidad y poniendo en riesgo su existencia.

Más información en el boletín N. 8

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De ahí que el monitoreo contribuya con la planificación, puesta en marcha y evaluación de las estrategias de manejo de esa área protegida.

Más información en el boletín No. 7

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En un esfuerzo conjunto, y bajo el liderazgo del Jardín Botánico de Edimburgo,  seis países de América Latina (Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, México, Perú y Venezuela), desde 2012, se unieron para formar la red DryFlor (http://elmer.rbge.org.uk/dryflor/), alianza en la que investigadores y conservacionistas buscan ampliar el conocimiento sobre la flora del bosque seco tropical.

Recientemente, dicha red lanzó un singular video animado (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bbTsDC2XZ4) en el que se destacan las principales amenazas que enfrenta ese disminuido ecosistema y las oportunidades que aún quedan para su conservación y su restauración.

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Funcionarios de esa reserva natural, estudiantes de la Universidad del Quindío y un miembro de la comunidad local, observaron el mamífero el pasado lunes 16 de marzo del 2015.

El oso (Tremarctos ornatus) fue visto durante una exploración de monitoreo que busca evaluar, por medio del análisis del porcentaje de área ocupada y de las presiones y amenazas, el estado de la población de esa especie en esa área natural.

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