Smile at earth invites you to Earth Hour 2011: It's time to go beyond the hour

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour. 

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

Submit by http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx

World Water Day: help make the difference

The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. This site started in 2001 as a community space and repository where people can upload their WWD event activities and reports. The theme changes every year for which annual campiagn materials can be found at the UN-Water site by clicking the WWD 2011 logo on the right.


Submited by: http://www.worldwaterday.org/

World Water Day Video from charity: water

The environmental Pollution in the Barranquilla Botanical Garden

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The environmental pollution in the Barranquilla Botanical Garden

View more presentations from Laura Stevenson.

Ecodelphia Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing - More sustainability

Natural Parks of Colombia: Love for the Environment

Colombia has 55 protected natural areas that have been classified as national natural parks, fauna and flora sanctuaries, natural reserves, parkways, and unique natural areas.

 
Parque Chicaque Park, in the surroundings of Bogotá /Flickr User quimbaya/

Visiting these places is to come face to face with the justification of why Colombia is one of the most diverse countries on the planet.

In Colombia, natural parks are spread all across the country.

Various kinds of reserves are situated across the entire territory. Most of them have been adapted to receive visitors, as long as they obtain authorization from the General Direction of National Natural Parks of Colombia, the state agency in charge of administrating protected areas through private concessions.

Colombia´s Natural Parks are spread across the entire national territory.

Thanks to the variety of landscapes and thermal floors, the parks offer multiple possibilities for engaging in nature tourism, which may be defined as a recreational way of enjoying Colombian geography while taking care of the environment.

Activities in Natural Land and Seascapes

With the increase in the number of protected areas, there has also been an increased interest on the part of travelers to enjoy these tranquil sites, away from the din of the cities and in an environment that, depending on the individual park, favors activities in which respect for fauna and flora take precedence. They range from entertaining ecological hikes in any of the sites to diving in parks like Tayrona, Isla Gorgona, and McBean Lagoon in Providencia.

Colombia’s natural parks offer climates, scenery, flora, and fauna that vary according to their location.

El Cocuy National Natural Park /Flickr User Juan M. Anzola/

Although possessing marked differences in their structure, it is a common occurrence to find springs, leafy forests, jungles, rivers, steep paths, the sea, and even exuberant snow peaks, among them, Los Nevados, El Cocuy, and the Nevado del Huila.

Several paths are graced by the aromas of plants and flowers and the permanent trill of birds. At the Tayrona, for example, over 200 kinds of birds have been detected. Likewise, a diversity of mammals, reptiles, insects, and frogs is part of the fauna inventory and its endemic species.

Ecological and Cultural Experiences

Besides encounters with nature, visits entail interactions with the communities that inhabit them and who are the main allies in conservation efforts. Thanks to their profound knowledge, native inhabitants also serve as guides in the areas where they make their homes.

The cultural rapprochement implied by visits to many protected areas, also includes becoming acquainted with archaeological remains, rock paintings, and the museums found in some of them. Mutual respect between Man and natural resources is perhaps the best teaching provided by visits to natural parks.

Parque Nacional El Cocuy /Usuario de Flickr julianasur/
Parque Nacional El Cocuy /Usuario de Flickr julianasur/

Parque Nacional El Cocuy /Usuario de Flickr julianasur/
Parque Nacional El Cocuy /Usuario de Flickr julianasur/

Manglar en en Parque Natural Isla de Salamanca /Usuario de Flickr idmiguel/
Manglar en en Parque Natural Isla de Salamanca /Usuario de Flickr idmiguel/

Parque Natural Los Nevados /Usuario de Flickr bulla/
Parque Natural Los Nevados /Usuario de Flickr bulla/

Parque Natural Puracé /Usuario de Flickr noam fein/
Parque Natural Puracé /Usuario de Flickr noam fein/

Parque Natural Tayrona /Usuario de Flickr zug55/

Parque Natural Tayrona /Usuario de Flickr zug55/

Recreation amid Landscape Treasures

Aside from high mountaineering and trekking, the parks offer options for recreation and sports that take advantage of water and land forms. Some of them are:

Tayrona National Natural Park /Flickr User noam fein/

• diving,
• canoeing,
• snorkeling,
• sailing

and adventure sports such as:

• caving,
• waterfall rappelling,
• rafting,
• zip lining,
• cliff climbing.

Laguna Negra, Los Nevados National Natural Park /Flickr User chilangoco/

Thanks to Colombia’s invaluable natural wealth, almost all its departments have protected areas with access to visitors - another hearty, healthful way for them to get to know the country and its treasures.

In view of climatic variations, it is recommended to obtain information from the General Direction of Natural Parks as to the best time of year for visiting. However, due to the benefits of having different thermal floors, it is always possible to visit a natural park any time of year.

Recommendations for Visiting Protected Areas

Preparation for the experience

Obtain information about the selected reserve: learn about the species that are protected, the communities that inhabit them, and make sure there is a visitors’ center, lodging infrastructure, and camping grounds.

• Respect for natureThis is the most important rule. Do not disturb the tranquil atmosphere and, if you are lucky enough to encounter fauna, do not upset it. Just watch in silence.
  
• Little technologyMotor vehicles serve to come close to the parks, but not to access them. With the exception of cameras, forget technology when visiting a protected area.
  
• Visitor awarenessProtect nature. Do not damage plants or disturb animals; do not litter and please collaborate by picking up the litter you encounter. The survival of Colombia’s natural parks depends on careful and respectful treatment from each of us.
  
  Submit them to  http://www.colombia.travel/en/international-tourist/sightseeing-what-to-do/recommended-tourist-attractions-special-reports/natural-parks-of-colombia