NPC Colombia

Colombia has one of the greatest diversities of primate species of any country in the world, and many are Endemic, found nowhere else. Unfortunately many are also threatened with extinction. 

Find out about our work in Colombia here!

NPC Colombia Projects

Founded in 2016 by a group of dedicated young primatologists

NPC Colombia was founded in 2016 by a group of dedicated young primatologists and conservationists who knew of our work in Peru and wanted to replicate it in their home country. NPC Colombia combines scientific investigation of primates, their habitats and sympatric species, reforestation with native tree species, environmental education, and sustainable social and economic development work to promote the creation of community-run reserves and conservation corridors across threatened landscapes.
Forests in Colombia, and the primates that inhabit them, are threatened by many activities including clear cutting for agriculture, mining (both legal and illegal), logging and drug production, all of which have led to high levels of fragmentation and habitat loss. As the species and habitats we aim to conserve are also the most threatened by human activities, we work closely with local communities and those living in and near forested areas.

Forest Protection

We help local people create and manage reserves to protect their natural resources, and in so doing, protect primates, their habitats, and all species.
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Environmental Education

Generating proper understanding of the need for conservation ensures longevity of our initiatives. We work with adults and children to promote awareness.
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Social development

Not only do we try and improve local livelihoods through direct economic means, we also aim to improve quality of life through sustainable projects wherever we work.
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Scientific Investigation

We work with some of the least known species on earth, our investigations provide essential knowledge for conserving these species.
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Meet the team !

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Alma Hernández Jaramillo
NPC Colombia

Alma is the founding president of NPC Colombia. She is a dedicated field researcher who has worked in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, focusing on seed dispersal and feeding behaviour of primates.

Her work with NPC relates to the development and implementation of the national action plan for the conservation of the Colombian black spider monkey, which prioritizes community relations in conservation education and for generating strategies. She is finishing her PhD studies at INECOL, Mexico.
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Catalina Ocampo-Carvajal
NPC Colombia

Catalina is a biologist from the National University of Colombia, and has an MSC in Biodiversity and Conservation from the Pará Federal university, Brazil.

She is an active member, and former board member of the Colombian Primatological Association. She has worked with NPC Peru as well as NPC Colombia. Her work focuses on conservation ecology of neotropical primates, public education, and the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.
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Juan Millan
NPC Colombia

Juan has a biology degree from Los Andes University, Colombia, and a master’s in conservation biology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

His principle interest is in the distribution of biodiversity and its sustainable use. He has worked in different conservation projects in the Colombian Amazon and Orinoco basins, including projects that support forestry compensations and forest restoration with an important wildlife component. Currently he is starting PhD studies at the University of Tübingen assessing the impacts of biodiversity use.

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Catalina Orrego
NPC Colombia

Catalina is a conservation biologist from the University of Santa Rosa de Cabal, Colombia.

She has worked with diverse species of threatened primates, in investigation and conservation, as well as being a university lecturer. She also works in research and community conservation for the environmental authorities of Caldas, Colombia.

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Sam Shanee

Sam Shanee is co-founder of NPC in the UK, Peru and Colombia. He has worked at various projects in South America, Asia and the Middle East.

Sam has an MSc in Primate Conservation and a PhD in the conservation and ecology of Andean primates, both from Oxford Brookes University, UK. Since 2007 he has been in South America carrying out conservation and research in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, where he tries to bridge the gap between academia and activism. Sam is a member of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group, a Research Associate of Oxford Brookes University, and board member of the Latin American Primatological Society. Sam also sits on the board of NPC Peru.

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