Universidad del Norte, Colombia

ALULA. A living laboratory of birds for conservation and education

Since 2014 the Universidad del Norte, through the EcoCampus program, has been developing various activities that seek to conserve the most threatened ecosystem in Colombia, the Tropical Dry Forest and the fauna that inhabits it, in addition to strengthening the sustainability skills of students through close contact with nature.

The Birds of the Colombian Caribbean course offers general knowledge about the main components of the Colombian avifauna, such as their evolutionary characteristics, morphological adaptations, ecological, economic, and cultural importance, and conservation challenges.

The learning methodologies addressed in the course include field trips to the ALULA bird observatory, a project that has been conceived as a living laboratory where students and visitors can learn about the biodiversity of the Caribbean, especially birds. ALULA was created thanks to the multidisciplinary work between the academic and administrative areas of the University.

What the Judges Thought

A really positive longstanding initiative which includes clear commendable themes such as cross-disciplinary collaborative working, working with and in the community and the strong local focus took in to account the universities sphere of influence.

The judges were impressed that this course took staff and students outside of the comfort zone of their main subject area, and brought them all back in touch with natural world.

What it Means to Win

"We believe that this recognition can generate several impacts. First, within the university is strengthening the development of skills in sustainable thinking of students, at the city and regional level we can get more visibility for ALULA to continue positioning itself as a key point in the route of birdwatching for the Atlantic, besides becoming a model experience for other institutions for nature tourism and citizen science activities. And secondly, the most notable impact will be that thanks to this recognition we can make visible the importance of conserving the Tropical Dry Forest ecosystem."

María Cristina Martínez Dean (e) Basic Sciences Division

Top 3 Learnings

1. We are a reference in the Caribbean, and we must promote social mobilization around environmental issues.
2. We develop skills and attitudes for students to question themselves about the cultural and ecological importance of birds.
3. We recognize the importance of integrating different population groups into environmental conservation activities.