July 24th, Santa Marta, Colombia
The city is vibrant with heat, energy, and color — it is the first day of the Fiesta Del Mar, a week-long celebration that celebrates the city’s history, culture, regional identity, and connection to the sea. This year, as the city marks its 500th anniversary, Santa Marta looks to the future in addition to honoring the past. Colombia’s lush landscape and incredible species diversity has always been part of its regional identity, and in this special 500th year, Santa Marta highlights its intentional protection as an integral part of the city’s character moving forward. Women for Conservation was honored to be part of this, bringing the spirit of environmental conservation to the festivities with the Rana Chiva — our mobile conservation education classroom — participating in the parade and hosting popup educational activities for kids.
Over the festival weekend, the Rana Chiva inspired thousands of children from Santa Marta to learn, play, and connect with the world around them. Our president, Sara Inés Lara, alongside dedicated volunteers dressed in bird costumes in the sweltering heat, led the bus in the parade among tens of thousands of attendees, dancing to the lively music and celebrating Colombian biodiversity.
Co-Founder Isabella Cortés Represents Endangered Species in the Capitana del Mar Pageant
Isabella Cortés, co-founder and executive director of W4C, represented Vista Nieve, located in the buffer of the El Dorado nature reserve in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in the Capitana del Mar pageant, winning the nautical challenge and earning second place overall! Through her stellar performance in the contest, she brought visibility to the delicate ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, championing its importance as an irreplaceable biodiversity hotspot and a place with profound cultural ties. She and Sara have been doing conservation work there for over 15 years, working with local women to conserve endemic species such as the Santa Marta Beardhelmet (Oxypogon cyanolaemus) and the Yellow-Eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis).
The sturdy traveling bus allows us to reach remote areas that may not otherwise have access to environmental education through typical rural schools, particularly lessons on birding.
The bountiful bird population in Colombia offers a unique opportunity for learning — nature’s ISpy game.
The kids who come to the Rana Chiva are thrilled by identifying birds using binoculars and birding pamphlets, and love to draw colorful pictures of the species they spot.
This is especially key in the slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where the unique geography of the mountains descending directly to the ocean creates a climate that results in a biodiversity hotspot.
