On Colombia’s Caribbean shores stands the highest coastal mountain on earth. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a corrugated pyramid of rock that rises almost four miles high. This ancient massif that dates back to the Jurassic period contains a microcosm of the entire planet from deserts to rainforest to glaciers with an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else. It is regarded as the planet’s single most important site for threatened and endemic biodiversity, as it boasts the highest concentration of endemic bird species in the world. As a result, the prestigious journal Science dubbed the area the “Most Irreplaceable Site on Earth” and a major priority for biodiversity conservation.

Located on the Sierra Nevada’s most vulnerable northwestern flank—less than ten miles from the city of Santa Marta—is perhaps the world’s most important nature reserve: El Dorado. Established in 2005 by our Colombian partner Fundación ProAves, the reserve protects over 3,200 acres, safeguarding habitat for threatened species such as the Critically Endangered Santa Marta Toro and the Santa Marta Harlequin Frog.  However, in recent years land speculation around the reserve has spiraled out of control as the reserves offers surrounding areas with exceptional natural resources such as clean water, cooler climes and spectacular views. Unfortunately this speculation has spurred some unscrupulous individuals to try and illegal invade some parts of the reserve to claim land and then sell it.  ProAves is desperate to increase protective measures at this Reserve.