Through the “Sumando Voces” alliance and in collaboration with the Urban Ecology Research Group from the National University of Colombia, Medellín campus, we have developed an environmental proposal for the district administration. The main objective of this proposal is to conduct a participatory biodiversity monitoring program in the Medellín district, designed to be open, broad, systematic, and inclusive.
To implement this public intervention, we have designed a plan divided into four phases. In the first year of government, an interdisciplinary team composed of academics, consultants, public officials, and civil society representatives will handle the planning process. During the second year, we will focus on socializing and coordinating with local stakeholders to fine-tune the work plan and methodology, ensuring all parties are aligned. In the third and fourth years, we will proceed with the implementation of the monitoring program, involving some members of the planning team and local volunteers. Finally, in the fourth year, we will conduct the analysis, draw conclusions, and provide recommendations with the same group, evaluating and adjusting the approach as needed.
To facilitate this process, we suggest using well-established platforms such as iNaturalist, which already has a presence in Colombia, or eBird, which specializes in bird data. These tools will allow us to connect with already active communities and reduce costs by avoiding the need to develop a new platform. Additionally, they ensure open access to information, promoting research on local and regional biodiversity. The involvement of experts in data curation on these platforms will help ensure the quality and reliability of the information, providing greater confidence in citizen-contributed records.