Excursion “SERENA DEL MAR”

Conference attendees are invited to learn about and become collaborators of a community-science program led by Fundación Serena del Mar to turn the city´s attention to the mangrove ecosystem of Ciénaga de la Virgen and Juan Polo, a coastal lagoon at the heart of Cartagena covering nearly 3,000 hectares with around 700 hectares of mangroves. Being such a predominant ecosystem of the urban landscape, the lagoon in subject to intense pressures, including formal and informal sewage disposal, sedimentation, informal settlement sprawl, and hyper salinization in its northern-most part.

In this excursion led by Fundación Serena del Mar, attendees will learn about Serena del Mar, a 1,000 hectare master-planned community where Universidad de Los Andes – Caribe Campus is located. Attendees will visit the 5mx7m sustainable city mock-up and learn about the development´s top sustainability features, the challenges local urban mangrove face, and a description of the project that will reestablish Ciénaga Juan Polo´s connection with the ocean and revitalize this important ecosystem and urban space. Lastly, attendees will learn about the community science program led by Fundación Serena del Mar that involves community leaders, ecotourism companies, local universities, and scientists through a yearly bioblitz that includes observation of birds, fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians, plants, bats, and water quality.