Panthera and Conexión Jaguar, the sustainability program of Grupo ISA, in alliance with Parque Explora, will develop on November 7 academic and cultural activities with free admission in order to disseminate, educate and promote jaguar conservation in Latin America.
Panthera, which is present in 43 countries and is a world leader in the conservation of wild felines, and Conexión Jaguar, ISA’s sustainability program, chose Medellín so that, through talks with experts and cultural interventions, the importance of jaguar conservation, a near-threatened species that plays a fundamental role in the balance and functioning of ecosystems, can be recognized.
The activities will be developed in partnership with the Explora Park, where on November 7, experts such as Esteban Payán, Panthera’s regional director for South America; Carlos Castaño Uribe, environmental anthropologist, and archaeologist, recognized for his discovery of cave paintings in Chiribiquete and management in the protection of this natural park, considered the largest in the country; and María Adelaida Correa, Corporate Director of Sustainability of ISA, will be present.
“During Jaguar Month we want to celebrate and promote the biological and cultural importance of this species, strengthening the call for its conservation. This is in line with the announcement made in 2018 by the United Nations Development Programme of November 29 as International Jaguar Day,” says Esteban Payán, Panthera’s regional director for South America.
The jaguar, known as the largest feline in the Americas, plays a fundamental role in the ecosystem balance, guarantees the survival of smaller species, protects water, and forests, and therefore represents the ultimate symbol that the biodiversity where it lives is intact. Understanding its importance, the Conexión Jaguar Program has set specific goals in terms of hectares of conservation and reduction of tons of CO2, as stated by María Adelaida Correa, director of sustainability at ISA, “by 2030, we seek to conserve 400 thousand hectares of forest in the Jaguar Corridor in Latin America, and reduce 9.000.000 tons of CO2 in strategic areas, which coincide with the territories where the company is present”.
In addition to the panel of experts, this celebration will feature a cultural intervention by Colombian muralist Bryan Sanchez, who will intervene a life-size fiberglass jaguar (1,8 meters from head to tail). The event will be closed by the Colombian singer Alejandro García, whose artistic proposal seeks to recreate the musical diversity of the American continent through the fusion sound technique, which combines modernity and tradition.
The promotion of activities that combine academic and cultural components is an opportunity to encourage citizen response to the social commitment to the conservation of this species.
The event
Date: Thursday November 7, 2019
Place: Parque Explora – Auditorio Explora
Admission: Free
Agenda:
5:30 p.m. Conservation experiences: Conexión Jaguar, Panthera and Maloka Cósmica (Parque Nacional Natural Chiribiquete).
6:30 p.m. Panel of experts moderated by Carolina Sanín, biodiversity director of Explora.
7:30 p.m. Concert by Alejandro García and live intervention of the jaguar sculpture by artist Bryan Sánchez.
