Jhon Jairo Ospina Sarria

This initiative has entered its third stage, dedicated to preserving the extraordinary amphibian diversity—totaling more than 100 species—within the Serranía de los Paraguas KBA in Colombia, a critical biodiversity stronghold within the Tropical Andes hotspot. Following an initial assessment of conservation needs and the subsequent implementation of a strategy encompassing monitoring, reproductive habitat identification, and environmental education, the project now focuses on strengthening acoustic, climatic, and field monitoring through local community empowerment.

Key actions in this phase include installing protective fencing to safeguard critical breeding habitats, advancing community empowerment, and conducting fundamental research to bridge knowledge gaps vital for refining conservation strategies. Collectively, these efforts aim to foster local stewardship, protect biodiversity, and establish a framework for sustained conservation and research that extends well beyond the project’s duration.

Serranía de los Paraguas - An Aerial Panorama © Fundacion Calima

Throughout the project’s development, the gender-focused internship program will continue to provide academic and professional opportunities for young people passionate about conservation. Furthermore, we remain committed to collaborating with local community leaders, enhancing their technical and scientific capacities while fostering bidirectional knowledge exchange. In partnership with Re:wild and the IUCN Red List, the initiative will also generate, for the first time, the Green Status indicator for amphibian species within the KBA. This indicator will provide a clear measure of each species’ recovery potential, identifying the actions needed to achieve sustainable populations and monitoring the effectiveness of conservation efforts over time.

Nymphargus megistus © Fundacion Calima

By determining precisely how close a species is to its ideal 'green' status, managers can prioritize interventions, allocate resources efficiently, and track progress toward long-term recovery. The significance of this project is critical because, among the many threats to biodiversity, large-scale mining interests are currently targeting the region. This threat is exacerbated by a lack of local technical capacity and a shortage of critical biological data; therefore, this project is essential to bolstering the collective conservation efforts led by both local and international partners within the Serranía de los Paraguas KBA.