Septiembre 2025 – Chocó, Colombia
For the first time in the Chocó Pacific region of Colombia, 62 women from four community councils met in Bahía Solano in June to create the Network of Women Amphibian Monitors, a pioneering strategy that seeks to address the many threats that endanger amphibians in Colombia.
In addition to training women in monitoring techniques, this initiative, led by Women for Conservation and the environmental branch of the local government (CODECHOCÓ), seeks to create a network of environmental guardians that combines scientific knowledge, local wisdom, and community leadership to protect the biodiversity of the region.
Amphibians: a treasure in danger of extinction
The Chocó Pacific is recognized as one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Around 870 species of amphibians have been recorded in Colombia, of which about 42% are endemic — that is, they do not exist anywhere else — according to the Batrachia database (Acosta-Galvis, 2025) and the Humboldt Institute.
In this strip of humid forest, lush with mazelike mangroves and streams, you can find the last bastions of species such as the Chocoano Harlequin Frog (Atelopus spurrelli), the Bahía Solano Koe-Koe Frog (Oophaga solanensis) and the Kokoe Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates aurotaenia). All are listed in the threat categories of the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2025).
Amphibians play a crucial role in ecosystems: they control insect populations, serve as food for birds and mammals, and their sensitive skin makes them natural indicators of environmental health, meaning that their populations are the first ones to be affected by adverse environmental changes.
In Chocó, these animals face growing threats such as deforestation, agricultural expansion, pollution from mining, and, in particular, illegal trafficking. They are extracted from their habitats to be sold as exotic pets in international markets — 80,000 frogs of the Koe-Koe species alone have been removed from Colombian forests for this purpose, with an estimated 5,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
Interestingly, even though Colombia boasts the second highest amphibian diversity in the world, there is little data on amphibian populations and dispersion available for scientific research and policy development. Of the existing research, significantly little of it is done by women. There has been a lack of research on this topic in Colombia due to few resources available to scientists. This project fills this knowledge gap, contributing to overall scientific knowledge all while placing women at the forefront.
Amphibians: a treasure in danger of extinction
Female leadership takes on special significance in wildlife conservation. Traditionally, women in Colombian Pacific community councils have played a central role in managing daily life and relationships with the land. Now, that experience is being transferred to biodiversity conservation.
“We have a key role to play in raising awareness among our families, visitors, and the community about the value of these species. The message we convey can make the difference between their conservation or their disappearance,” said one of the new monitors at the meeting.
During the training, the women learned to identify at-risk amphibian species using the iNaturalist citizen science platform. They filled out community logs with field data such as weather, habitat information, and behavior. They held one monitoring session during the day and one at night, accompanied by local guides and biologists Andrea Cáceres and Ángela Mendoza, herpetology specialists.
A milestone for gender-inclusive conservation
The creation of the Network of Women Amphibian Monitors sets a precedent in the Pacific. For the first time, a group of Afro-descendant women leads a community-based amphibian monitoring program. For Andrea Cáceres, Program Director of Women for Conservation Colombia, this commitment means more than just conserving species:
“Caring for these frogs isn’t just about protecting biodiversity; it’s also about opening up opportunities for women to learn about their land and find alternatives for a dignified and sustainable life in their communities.”
Citizen science and institutional engagement
In addition to practical workshops, the meeting also provided an opportunity for inter-institutional coordination in the region. Civil, environmental, and military authorities participated in a working group where they made commitments to curb illegal amphibian trafficking. These plans include training inspectors and coast guard officers to better prevent trafficking, and strengthen controls at ports and airports.
Preserving the Chocó Pacific
The Chocó Pacific is not only a haven for biodiversity, but is also home to communities that depend on its forests, waters, and seas. In this context, women monitors represent a new bridge between science, culture, and the earth.
By recording frogs on iNaturalist, collecting data in logbooks, and teaching visitors to respect local wildlife, these guardians are building a woman-and-community-centric conservation model that can be replicated in other regions of the country.
This joint effort between Women for Conservation Colombia and the Regional Autonomous Corporation for the Development of Chocó (CODECHOCÓ) recognizes the key role of women in protecting ecosystems by strengthening their capacities and supporting their leadership, not only working to conserve the most endangered amphibians, but also by consolidating local communities, and especially women, as strategic allies in the defense of Pacific biodiversity.
With support from:
