About

What we do: Bogota´s Wetlands foundation

The Bogota´s Wetlands foundation is a nonprofit organization with the aim to recover the natural wealth and value of Wetlands to the Bogota´s citizens and evidencing its constant threats, this has achieved people´s recognition to our labor. On 2015, we were the winners of “Award for young wetland champions 2015”. Nonetheless, on 2012 we won the contest “Colombia en línea” or Colombia online as the best investigation website in Colombia www.humedalesbogota.com prize awarded by The Colombian chamber of computing and communications (CCIT in Spanish), the online government program of ICT ministry and the publishing house El Tiempo.

Our history

The Bogota’s wetland foundation came up in parallel with a Citizen environmental education project, focused on Bogota´s wetlands conservation with the objective of sharing information related to wetlands of the city.

Due to all questions and concerns about wetlands conservation and the minimum updated information provided by internet, Bogota´s wetlands foundation started on 2011 covering the situation and the most important threats in this ecosystem doing simples reviews about it. Through time, this has become an organized community informed about the actual situation of Bogota´s wetlands, goods, environmental services, threats and problematics through the website www.humedalesbogota.com.

Distinguished by encourage participatory environmental management in Bogota´s wetlands by the community through innovate, creative and inclusive events we have achieved awareness, training and formulation of strategies that provide the parameters to analyze, understand and manage the conservation, recovery and rehabilitation of wetlands. Also, identifying the human role on the maintenance of this ecosystem looking for proper and accurate sustainable management in wetlands.

Activities

Wetlands articles written: With reviews published in the website related to the past, present and future of Bogota´s wetlands, we write down in a common and easy understand language about its potentials, biodiversity, threats and defenders inviting to protect them. We have uploaded more than 500 articles.

Eco fair: Alternative event that encourage making visible, promoting and disseminating the different processes of citizens, groups, NGOs, companies, official entities, educational centers, etc. for free making known its labor and contribution to the environmental protection. On 2013, we gather 300 environmental organizations and more than 16.000 visitors.

Bike Caravan: On February 2^nd is celebrated World wetlands day in commemoration of signing Ramsar agreement in Iran on 1971. For this reason, Bogota´s wetlands foundation dedicated to preserve, protect and promote these valuables ecosystems has gathered hundreds of cyclists that ride around the city celebrating this day, also it has become as the principal event worldwide that convene people to join this day.

Bogota´s wetlands maps: As an exercise of Citizen Science, the maps has helped people to identify where the wetlands are and locate water bodies across the city that has been recognized as public ecological parks, nonetheless is possible to get information about how to arrive to these ecosystems and know other interesting information.

Mapping Bogota´s water hen and Apollinaire’s wren in wetlands: In cooperation with ABC (American Bird Conservancy), we signed an agreement on 2014 that has achieved the mapping of the remaining habitat, the threats and distribution of this two species in Bogotá and its surroundings. In a second and third stage of this project, a conservation worldwide plan for Apollinaire´s wren (Cistothorus apolinari) will be formulated.

Project State of the art of knowledge of the wetlands of Bogota´s river basin: Elaboration of a synthesis document containing the State of art of the knowledge of the wetlands of Bogota´s river basin. This will contribute to elaborate technical inputs to delimit the wetlands and develop other activities covered in the agreement No.13014 by The Investigation Institute of Natural Resources Alexander Von Humboldt.

Wetlands Courses: Give conceptual and methodological tools to analyze, understand and manage wetlands conservancy. Also, identify threats, effects and processes that human action has influenced in this ecosystems. This course pretend to educate citizens capable to give solutions and manage conservation of wetlands natural wealth through a scientific knowledge.

Active citizenship course: We provide knowledge, tools and methodologies of citizen science, environmental journalism, recognition and characterization of local biodiversity through experimental experiences.

SOS Water hen: Rescue and liberation of Blue water hens and other migrant birds species founded in unsuitable places in Bogotá. Since 2012, we have helped more than 200 individuals thanks to foundation volunteers.

First encounter of participatory science on biodiversity: Event organized by Humboldt Institute and SiB Colombia, in support with foundations as Opepa and Bogota´s wetlands.

Participatory science on Bogota’s wetlands biodiversity: We want to promote citizen participation in knowledge about the biodiversity of these ecosystems.

#GreenSocialMedia: Within the framework of the international environment fair in Bogotá, Bogota´s wetlands foundation leads this event trying to promote good social media usage on green initiatives in making a bigger impact on real life.

Nature tourism agreement: Subscribed between District Institute of Tourism –Instituto Ditrital de Turismo in Spanish- and “Nauraleza y Patrimonio” foundation with the objective of “join technical and financial efforts for the development of actions for the strengthening and adaptation of natural attractions with a view to consolidating the offer of nature tourism in Bogotá”. Bogota´s wetlands foundation has been an allied providing experience in the execution of the agreement.

Bogota’s bird fest: Is a nonprofit event that seeks to promote birds of Bogota. Its aim is to aware people about the importance of birds.

Ecologic walks: During 2011 and 2017 thanks to us, around 30.000 people have visited wetlands, paramos and gorges achieving visibility of these places generating appropriation by the citizens.

Social responsibility programs and shared value: During the last years, Bogota´s Wetlands foundation has created alliances with the private sector with the aim to give solutions in favor of the needs of Bogota´s Wetlands. There are several companies trusting and supporting us to undertake actions with the employees and collaborators that allow improving the conditions of wetlands, paramos and gorges.

Welcoming migrant birds: Bogotá has two migrant seasons during the year; Birds from all the Americas arrive in the city and you can sight something unusual and unique: hundreds or maybe thousands of birds placed in just one scene, Canadians ducks, Swallows, Water hens, Hawks, Bird nuns and Tringas. Birds that cannot be enjoy in the city.

Awards, recognitions and applications.

Award for young wetland champions 2015.
Order of environmental excellence José Celestino Mutis granted by the Bogota council, 2017.
Recognition to the environmental volunteer: Contribution to Bogotá with environmental volunteering actions to address environmental potentials and problems in pursuit of defense, conservation, restoration, renaturation and sustainable use of natural resources, granted by Secretary of environment.
Prize Colombia online as best investigation website in Colombia on 2012 to humedalesbogota.com granted by The Colombian chamber of computing and communications (CCIT in Spanish), the online government program of ICT ministry and the publishing house El Tiempo.
Prize green Latin America in wetlands species conservation with the program SOS water hens.
National Award to the social digital mobilization in the category “Environment”, within the framework of “IV national meeting of digital communities” on 2015 awarded by the digital brigade ICT ministry.
For the leadership in the defense of wetlands ecosystems in the city granted by the Bogota council on 2013.
Recognition by La Silla Vacía as part of 50 Bogota’s developers leaders that have changed Bogota and near villages in different fields throughout sustainable processes. We highlighted their works after analyzing one hundred profiles also recognizing many others that work for the city.
Participation as speaker at the Seventh World Congress of Environmental Education on 2013 in Marrakesh, Morocco. With the lecture “Strengths of environmental education to mitigate the impact of polymeric materials on wetlands ecosystem in Bogotá, Colombia”.
Application to Amway prize to environmental journalism 2016 with the work “Passing through ALO Avenue” a series of 7 articles showing up the real outline of ALO Avenue, including maps, photos and a review of each ecosystem.
Elected by the readers of El Espectador newspaper as new bloggers in the environment category on 2012.