GRUPO ECOMUNITARIO
What is Grupo Ecomunitario?
Motivated by the lack of information about the biodiversity of Bogotá’s urban greenspaces, a group of neighbors and friends of the El Virrey and El Chicó parks, began a community-based project to better understand the local flora and fauna.
As the species lists of this previously unstudied area grew, concerns also grew about the number of public and private entities making key planning and ecological management decisions with little or no knowledge of the local ecology in this rapidly urbanizing sector of the city.
This led to a worldwide search for best management practices to better incorporate environmental services in local urban planning decisions and inspire more Bogotanos to discover their local urban biodiversity.
What do we do?
Since June 2014, Grupo Ecomunitario has used a citizen science approach to coordinate and facilitate a host of efforts to better understand and the area’s biodiversity, social perceptions and management pressures.
Over this time we have organized numerous community nature walks, workshops, presentations, and media coverage, developing a strong public outreach and advocacy presence in the neighborhood and the city.
Another central aspect of our work is in collaboration with diverse local experts in ecology, landscape design, silviculture, gardening and education, where we strive to advance a multidisciplinary vision to develop practical tools to achieve a more sustainable future for the capital of this mega-biodiverse country.
JUAN CAICEDO
Ecologist and Science Coordinator
I have degrees in Water Resources Management and Ecology as well as more than 20 years of professional experience in the conservation of flora and fauna. I have also worked for and collaborated with various organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ProNatura Mexico and ProAves Colombia in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize and Colombia. Currently I am a neighbor of the El Virrey Park and coordinate for Grupo Ecomunitario a wide variety of community-based research and conservation initiatives related to the urban biodiversity of the Barrios of the Gran Chicó.
MARÍA STELLA SÁCHICA
Lawyer
I am a lawyer graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá) with a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Sustainable Development from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (Spain). I have over 20 years of experience in the public and private sector, including 10 years with the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development as a lawyer in the Judicial Processes Group, adviser in the Concepts Group of the Legal Office and advicer of the Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Direction. Currently I am an independent consultant, and co-founder of Grupo Ecomunitario leading the legal component related to urban ecology, urban planning and other aspects related to urban biodiversity use and management.
FITO & LUNA
Field Assistants
THANK TO OUR SUPPORTERS
Since we started this project we have met so many people that have helped us with their assistance and knowledge.
Thank you to all the students, professors, researchers, organizations, neighbors and friends for your valuable support to Grupo Ecomunitario, without all of you, none of this would have been possible!