To promote knowledge building and the study of amphibians in our country, ProAves, with the support of The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, held the I National Course on Amphibian Study Techniques in Colombia, October 12-16 at the ProAves Reinita Cielo Azul Reserve, located in the municipality of San Vicente de Chucurí, department of Santander.
For several years, ProAves has been promoting the development of projects involving this kind of species, given their biological relevance, and in an effort to stop the numerical decline that has led to the disappearance of several of them. In this sense, and to contribute to the gathering of information that allows appropriate decision-making processes for the preservation of amphibians, this pertinent course was held with the participation of 15 undergraduate students representing 12 universities from all over the country who are pursuing their bachelor’s degrees in biology and environmental engineering.
The course addressed species distribution models, taxonomy and diversity, data analysis, sampling techniques, and bioacoustics. These subjects had the guidance of researchers and expert professors, including Ph.D. Wilmar Bolívar and Ph.D. Oscar Murillo, from the Universidad del Valle; Ph.D. Juan Manuel Daza from the University of Antioquia; Magister Eliana Barona Cortés from the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute and Ph.D. María Juliana Bedoya Durán of the Corporation for Environmental Management BIODIVERSA. In addition, the Research Director of ProAves Colombia, Alex Cortés, and the Deputy Director of the Central Region, Jhoana Castro, also attended the sessions.
This knowledge exchange provided the participants with the possibility of putting into practice the learnings of the course. Teamwork sessions were held to develop work field projects to collect data, analyze them, and present results.
As a result of this exercise, 16 species of herpets, including lizards, snakes, and frogs, were registered within the Reinita Cielo Azul – ProAves Reserve.
“Personally, what I liked the most about this Course was having the possibility to share with people with the same passion for amphibians and anuros. Also, I feel that learning and having different tools can be applied in many contexts for amphibian monitoring, and studying this group has been very valuable, especially the learning and the tools the professors have given us.”
Natalia Mejía, Universidad del Valle
ProAves will continue promoting initiatives and spaces, such as the I National Course on Amphibian Study Techniques, to contribute to science, the exchange of knowledge, and the preservation of wildlife.
