Today Colombia has 59 national natural parks (NNPs) that conserve the biodiversity of more than 17 million hectares and where 64.5% of the country's ecosystems are represented, as revealed in a 2021 report by the organization Parques Nacional Cómo Vamos, an initiative that brings together nine organizations from the civil society.
In recent months, deforestation has consumed many hectares in Colombia, much of it in the NNPs, as a result of climate change and various outlaw actions and the expansion of illegal livestock farming. For this reason, the global nature conservation organization WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), led an initiative that invites you to embark on a journey through Colombia's National Natural Parks.
The audiovisual project consists of the fact that, together with explorers, the story of each Natural Park will be told and made available to the public on Americanino's YouTube channel.
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Luis Germán Naranjo, Director of Conservation at WWF Colombia, said that “exploring and knowing Colombia must go hand in hand with the care of ecosystems and respect for the communities that live there.”
The Natural Parks of Chingaza, Los Nevados, Utría, Amacayacu, and the Flamenco Flora and Fauna Sanctuary will be the first five protected areas that are the main characters of this environmental adventure, to reiterate the importance of caring for natural resources, promoting responsible local tourism and reviving the pride of visiting this country.
The report of civil organizations reports that it is the parks of the Caribbean Territorial that require special attention, as they are where the greatest number of critically endangered ecosystems are currently located. “This initiative seeks to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable and responsible consumption habits, encouraging travelers to value the natural and cultural wealth of each place they visit,” concluded the director of WWF Colombia.
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The content for the public will be aimed at highlighting the biodiversity, gastronomy, culture and natural wealth of each Natural Park, in order to promote these destinations, as well as the importance of preserving them and contributing to the well-being of their local communities.
The explorers, through a mini-documentary, will share their experience from start to finish. For these first five Natural Parks to be shown, explorers passionate about the environment were chosen, such as Barranquilla surfer Daniel Olmos, Agustín Ostos, who has traveled the world by motorcycle, Colombian freediver Sofía Gómez, adventurer Santiago Acosta and biker Sara Sánchez.
“We want to strengthen governance in our protected areas with private enterprise and communities that play a fundamental role in protecting the ecosystems, biodiversity and different cultures that we conserve there. It is important that we all know, value and contribute to the task of ensuring that this heritage is maintained,” said the director of National Natural Parks, Orlando Molano Pérez.
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