Juan Guillermo Garces, at age 17, had a life-altering encounter with a devastating fire that he accidentally started, which nearly cost him and his brother their lives. This traumatic experience ignited a fervent commitment to environmental protection, resulting in the establishment of the Rio Claro nature reserve. Spanning 3,000 hectares, the reserve is home to diverse wildlife and a rich variety of plant species, thriving in a karst forest ecosystem. Garces, now 74, is recognized as a leading environmental protector in Colombia, emphasizing that the true ownership of the forest lies with its inhabitants.
Experiencing firsthand what the animals and plants endured was a turning point for Garces. ‘I felt death there in the flames, he says. When you’re about to be burned alive, you become painfully aware of the destruction you have caused.’
Garces’s reserve marks him as one of Colombia’s most successful environmental protectors. ‘I have never really been the owner of these forests, nor could I be, the trees, the animals, they are the true owners.’
The Rio Claro basin is home to almost 850 species of fauna and more than 3,000 of flora. ‘More than 100 new species have been discovered in Rio Claro – and counting,’ says Saul E Hoyos-Gomez.
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