The Nature Conservancy in Colombia

Colombia's Llanos Grasslands are located in the Orinoco River Basin that runs between Colombia and Venezuela. Learn what we’re doing to protect the Colombian Llanos.

Colombian Tropical Andes
Learn about an unprecedented effort to protect 2.5 million acres of Andean landscapes that include oak forests and páramos (high altitude grasslands).

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the world’s tallest coastal mountain. An amazing 628 bird species have been recorded in Sierra Nevada —about the number that can be found in the United States and Canada combined.

Saving the Cotton-Top Tamarins
The Nature Conservancy and partners are working with local ranchers to protect the remaining forest for sustainable livelihoods...and the monkeys.

Support our work in Colombia

With your help we can protect the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Llanos Grasslands, the Tropical

Andes and other great places in Colombia.

Colombia is a country of contrasts. From snowy white peaks to brilliant coral reefs, Colombia has an extraordinary array of biological diversity, climates, cultures and people. Roughly 10% of all the Earth’s living species are found here, and Colombia ranks number one in the world in terms of bird, amphibian and butterfly species. More than 90 different indigenous communities live in Colombia from Wayuu people who live in the desert of La Guajira to the Cofán Pueblo in the foothills of Amazonia.

Colombia’s biological diversity is due to its privileged geographical position. The country is located in northern South America and is the only South American country with shores on both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Andes mountain range runs north to south and divides the country into several regions: the tropical Andes, Caribbean, Llanos grasslands, and Amazonia. Each region has particular characteristics that have allowed for the proliferation of unique species that are found nowhere else on Earth. The Conservancy and its partners have projects in each region that help to ensure the effective conservation of Colombia’s amazing biological richness.

Did you know?

Colombia has more vertebrate species than any other country on Earth. Colombia is estimated to have more than 3,300 vertebrate species.
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the tallest coastal mountain in the world. There are just 26 km from its snowy peaks to the Caribbean Sea.
Colombia has more than 1,762 bird species that represent around 19% of all birds on Earth.
The country has five major habitat types in its territory: moist tropical forests, dry tropical forests, tropical grasslands, mountain grasslands and deserts and scrublands.