Megazul Colombia

Carolina is the Founder of Megazul Colombia, a youth-led initiative co-creating environmental experiences and community-based adventures. Carolina is passionate about protecting Colombia’s biodiversity, and her initiative offers education and local sustainable development to safeguard the country’s natural environment. Megazul Colombia is active in the Pacific, Caribbean and Andean regions of Colombia, working in 29 coastal and mountainous communities. The initiative offers conservation experiences and outings, workshops, fauna monitoring, composting, and knowledge-sharing experiences between visitors and local community experts through its eco-tourism routes.

Carolina attended the One Young World Summit in Manchester, 2022. She spoke on a panel with Former First Lady of Colombia, María Juliana Ruiz, about her work.

Megazul Colombia has restored 100 square metres of coral reefs with 1,000 coral fragments and reintroduced five species to this ecosystem, educating 146 children on the importance of conservation. It has impacted 1,773 adults and children through its different environmental and scientific education initiatives. The organisation, in collaboration with Cusba Travel, won an award from the Mayor of Santa Marta for its ecotourism route ‘Del Mar a la Sierra’. This route has generated employment opportunities for 10 people while Megazul has provided capacity-building training and environmental education to four communities in Santa Marta. The organisation has planted 360 local native trees and hosted four days of gardening events, while its composting workshops have reached more than 750 people.

“One Young World always reminds me that we ARE. My leadership represents the voice of the ecosystems, communities and those working to create a change for Colombia’s megadiversity. It has inspired me, it is a big challenge to keep working with the same purpose at full speed and passion, building up the country from an environmental edu-communication and scientific lens.”