ANUKWE (or “Origin”) describes the sense of personal fulfillment through connection with nature and derives from the language of the Taironas, a Pre Columbian Andean community.
ANUKWE captures the spirit of our pioneering project, one that seeks to protect and preserve biodiversity while presenting a model for mindful and sustainable tourism.
Our Commitment
Anukwe is an ecotourism and biodiversity conservation project that closely collaborates with the local communities of the Donama Region (Colombia), to plant native species and provide ecotourism services.
Anukwe is led by visionary entrepreneurs and environmentalists who believe in a harmonious blend of conservation, tourism and community empowerment.
WWF Colombia is one of the key supporters of Anukwe, offering its resources and expertise to enable the project to realize its goal of setting aside land in the Donama Valley to be protected under the Colombian National Parks Network.
Preservation through Exploration
Not stopping there, we envision this as a self-sustaining project, one that nurtures opportunities for heightened awareness and connection with one’s surroundings through leadership and mindful tourism.
The Anukwe Eco Hotel will be established to bring together key leaders, thinkers and researchers – encouraging collaboration and dialogue while experiencing and seeing firsthand both the richness and vulnerability of the surrounding landscape.
With sustainably built facilities in place, the Anukwe Eco Hotel will also offer a unique experience to visitors seeking a refuge – the chance to disconnect from their urban lives and reconnect with nature and one’s self. With growing interest in this region of Colombia, there’s no reason why the growth in tourism should automatically generate a negative environmental impact. The center will be located with easy access to the region’s spectacular waterfalls but we have strategically planned its development to avoid any further encroachment on the land or ecosystem. Anukwe will offer an opportunity to explore and escape, but in a sustainable and mindful manner.
Ensuring a Future
Every visitor has the opportunity to experience Anukwe and come away with a deeper sense of the importance of the protection of this region’s ecosystem. Moreover, every visitor has the opportunity to further safeguard its rich biodiversity. A percentage of proceeds will be reinvested in continued conservation and protection efforts for the reserve.
Team
Carlos Herrera
Carlos works as WWF Colombia Protected Areas and Conservation Strategies Specialist. He is Ecologist at Javeriana University, Colombia and Master in Management and Conservation of Tropical Forests and Biodiversity of CAITE Institute, Costa Rica. He has a solid knowledge in biology and conservation ecology, as well as in ecosystem dynamics and environmental analysis focused on the preservation and sustainable use of natural resources and their technical, scientific and economically sustainable management. He has an holistic vision of the current environmental complexity and its particularities in different socio-cultural contexts.
Otoniel Gil
Otoniel Gil Garavito is originally from the Sierra Nevada. He is a member of two indigenous communities (Kogui – Wiwa) and speaks both languages fluently. He completed his studies in 2019 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Otoniel has studied birds for 5 years and has been an independent birdwatching guide for 3 years. His job focuses on observing and identifying birds from this region. He is also currently developing a project called Nuwabirdlife that focuses on conservation and protection of the biodiversity of the Sierra Nevada with the larger goal of helping to change people’s attitude towards the environment.
Sofía Del Río
Sofía Del Río is a Biologist, works in WWF Colombia as a consultant focused in protected areas planning and management effectiveness assessments. She works in the implementation of the IUCN Green List Program in Colombia. She has experience promoting the establishment of private protected areas, working with private land owners in biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of biological resources, also she has knowledge in biology and conservation ecology of freshwater turtles.
Julio Andrade
Julio is an experienced consultant with a long track history of working in the environmental services industry. He is skilled in Corporate Sustainability, Socio-economic Research, Environmental Awareness, Life Sciences, Conservation Biology, and Project Management. His strongest suit is Sustainable Regional Development.
José Palma
Born and raised in Chile, Jose Palma has a law degree from the University of Chile (2004) and a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he was recipient of the Chevening Scholarship. Most recently he is a candidate for the Humphrey Fellowship, part of the Fulbright program.
He is the founder of the Climate Action Network, a Latin American platform which promotes the development and implementation of climate strategies in companies.
Jose has a curious mind and has developed a great interest in holistic and spiritual practices, which he has integrated into his personal life. He is an instructor and practitioner of OSHO meditations, has taken several courses on Tibetan Buddhism, spirituality and oriental music, and has regularly participated in retreats.
Carlos Durango
Carlos was born and raised in Tolima, Colombia. He is a certified technician in the area of industrial refrigeration, but has also long been involved in various business projects and entrepreneurships. He is well versed in all things agriculture – specializing in endemic species, plants and native trees across various tropical rainforest climates.
Since his childhood Carlos has considered himself to be a hard worker and spent several years working and living in different cities across Colombia until he arrived in the city of Santa Marta, where he fully developed his career path and passion. Carlos currently lives and works in Santa Marta with his wife and two daughters.
Oscar Naranjo
Oscar was born in the city of Santa Marta and grew up in the village of Transjordania, which is part of the Sierra Nevada. He is the foreman of the Anukwe reserve. His training and work have been focused on ecotourism services and general infrastructure maintenance. He worked in the construction of the Metroagua water treatment plant in the Rio Piedras (near Anukwe). He has experience in construction, painting, plumbing and a deep knowledge of sustainable agriculture, beekeeping, coffee harvesting and water treatment.
He is married and lives with his wife in Donama Valley.