Help for the Tunjuelo River

Removing invasive species, plant material and garbage from the water surface to restore the hydraulic functioning of the Tunjuelo River flood zone next to the No. 13 Bogotá GR Fernando Landazábal Reyes Artillery School Battalion are the tasks of the Environmental Engineering program students of UCundinamarca, José David Bonilla and Diva Julisa Hernández.

These two young people are doing their professional internships there and thanks to the tools provided by the program, they are creating a nursery of native species next to the wetland, which also serves to reforest the area.

“An initial cleaning and preparation work must be done on the Tunjuelo River flood zone, which has all the properties of a wetland, but is not yet declared as such. It has been abandoned and polluted for years; however, these young people are creating a self-sustaining nursery,” explained Fredy Duque, a professor in the Environmental Engineering program at UCundinamarca, in charge of the professional practices.

The teacher in charge of accompanying and guiding the students during this stage of learning highlights the importance of this type of practice where the students carry out the entire restoration process.

It is worth noting that UCundinamarca currently has a professional internship agreement with the GAE Foundation, which in turn provides environmental services to the military forces, in this case to the No. 13 Artillery School Battalion Bogotá GR. Fernando Landazábal Reyes.

José David and Diva Julisa are working on the environmental management plan for this important area, which, if decontaminated, will be a great contribution to this water source for Bogotá.

Fresh water

According to the Environment and Society Foundation, floodplains that form bodies of water and provide a habitat for various aquatic and terrestrial species are in danger due to pollution and lack of care.

Migratory birds seek out these water sources to feed, mate, and raise their young, but due to pollution, many are in danger of extinction. This is why both floodplains and wetlands must have guardians to protect them.

“These are ecosystems of great biological, social, and cultural importance, and within the ecological structure they are part of the system of protected areas, understood as 'the set of spaces with unique values for natural heritage,' whose conservation is essential for the functioning of ecosystems, the conservation of biodiversity, and the evolution of culture in the Capital District,« explains Humedales de Bogotá.

The University of Cundinamarca (UCundinamarca) encourages its students to live in harmony with nature and help others achieve this. “These exercises are very valuable; we hope to contribute to the environment with everything these future engineers do in their professional practice with the Artillery School,” said Professor Duque.

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