Jenny Urbina is a tropical ecologist with expertise in amphibian ecology and conservation. She is interested in infectious diseases and their impact on wildlife. Her research has been focused on amphibians and bats.

Andrea Jara is a marine biologist working with the assessment and sustainable management of small-scale fisheries through engagement with local governments and communities; integrating scientific and local knowledge to inform fisheries management and control decisions.

Project description: Colombia, with more than 54 000 species registered in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, is one of the known megadiverse countries. It is part of a group of 17 countries that harbor 70% of world biodiversity in only 10% of the territory. We have multiple threats to biodiversity such as deforestation, mining, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation of resources, and contamination. There is also a threat, that is the lack of awareness and appropriation of our biodiversity. The main goal of our proposal is to generate awareness and teach kids, from rural areas, who are starting their school (4-5 years) about the biodiversity in Colombia. Our main objective is to create and distribute a booklet to teach the vowels based on flora and fauna species. We expect the kids to learn the vowels and to be exposed to the concept of biodiversity from an early age.