VIVA LA SELVA

Alejandro leads Viva la Selva, developing the website and producing content to realize his long-held dream of planting trees and reviving forests. These are the forests where he grew up exploring on horseback and fishing in the rivers. When he's not dedicated to Viva la Selva, you can find him on the farm, playing the guitar or practicing Latin percussion.

Esra was born in Germany and studied music and Spanish at the university. She's worked as a teacher in Germany and Colombia, where she also worked as a translator. At Viva la Selva, she's the go-to person for editing, translating, and handling communications, particularly for German speakers. Her fascination with South America brought her to Colombia. She has a special love for the misty mountain mornings, lush landscapes, and rock climbing.

Rudecinda is a retired teacher specializing in ecological agriculture and natural sciences. She worked at the regional secondary school focusing on agriculture, where she successfully carried out various agricultural projects related to biodiversity, soil recovery, health, and sustainability. In Viva La Selva, Rudecinda helps with regional communication and logistics. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with children and youth groups dedicated to ecology and sustainability, and, most importantly, in her fruit and vegetable garden.

Juan Guillermo is an experienced rural veterinarian with a Master's in Agricultural Ecology. He was also a popular university lecturer and project consultant in both fields. Juan Guillermo dedicated much of his life to studying tropical ecosystems and ecological and sustainable agriculture practices, including soil recovery methods. He is an inexhaustible source of information for examples, experiences, and advice that make our work easier. In his free time, he reads, cares for animals, and cultivates microorganisms from wild forests' fertile upper soil layers as organic fertilizer.

Jimmy's roots are in the forests and fields, where he picked up traditional farming and woodworking. As a lumberjack, he learned a lot about different trees and plants in the rainforest. That's when he saw how quickly the variety of life in Colombia's tropical forests was disappearing, and he knew he wanted to help bring the woods back to life. Now, he and his family live on their farm near the wooded mountains.