"SAN ISIDRO, Colombia — In an outdoor classroom surrounded by snake specimens preserved in jars, teacher Melqui Mosquera proudly talks about the nature reserve he set up in a Colombian region environmentally devastated by illegal mining.

There are fish ponds with species native to the northwestern Choco region that were wiped out of the Atrato River due to contamination. A walk uphill leads to crystal water streams teeming with fish, jungle vegetation and chirping birds — a rare sound in many parts of the river now as wildlife has been pushed deep into the canopy by the loud machinery.

Thanks to the support of a community council that liaises with the groups, mining has not yet reached the El Guayacan nature reserve, which was founded in 2013 with 13 hectares and today boasts over 200. Mosquera is pushing to achieve official legal status for the reserve, which could force the government to provide more protection."

Steven Grattan reports for the Associated Press October 18, 2024. [2]