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🇨🇴 Colombia /Environment & Climate

Cali launches Francisco Piedrahita Plata diploma to strengthen birdwatching tourism

From El Tiempo · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources New plan
  • Cali has launched the Francisco Piedrahita Plata diploma program to professionalize birdwatching tourism and address the shortage of specialized guides.
  • The 71-hour course covers local biology, species identification, sustainable tourism practices and basic English, with in-person, online and field components.
  • The program honors Francisco Piedrahita Plata, a former Icesi University rector whose passion for birds helped build knowledge among Colombia’s birdwatching community.

Cali is moving to strengthen its position as a center for nature tourism in Colombia with a new training program for birdwatching operators. The city government, Icesi University and the Río Cali Association created the Francisco Piedrahita Plata diploma to professionalize a sector that lacks specialized personnel.

The course combines local biology, species-identification techniques, sustainable visitor experiences and basic English for tourism. Its organizers say guides need detailed knowledge of birds, including their behavior and the ecosystems associated with them, to improve encounters while respecting the territory.

The program includes 71 academic hours in face-to-face and virtual formats at Icesi University. Students will attend classroom sessions, complete asynchronous online lessons and take part in a field outing at an emblematic location in the region. A final session will allow participants to share their work and receive certificates.

The diploma bears the name of Francisco Piedrahita Plata, who recently died after serving as Icesi’s rector for 25 years. The university describes him as a key figure in Colombian higher education and a respected member of the birdwatching community. The training will run through Sept. 13.

“The key to providing good service is precisely to know the birds of the territory very well,” said Gustavo Londoño, a biologist and Icesi professor and researcher who coordinates the diploma. “We hope that, with this diploma, participants will use this information to increase the probability of encountering birds while respecting the territory.”

The key to providing good service is precisely to know the birds of the territory very well. For that, we need to understand their behavior, know which ecosystems they are associated with and how they behave according to the place they inhabit. We hope that, with this diploma, participants will use this information to increase the probability of encountering birds while respecting the territory.

· Gustavo LondoñoThe Icesi biologist and academic coordinator explained the program’s focus on scientific knowledge and conservation.
About this summary

Originally published by El Tiempo in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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