48 students of the Forestry Engineering program of the Universidad Industrial de Santander – Sede Malaga, visited several places in Santander as part of their practical field trips.
In the subjects “Forest Management and Silviculture” and “Restoration of Natural Forests”, the future forestry engineers carried out the integrated practical field trip of the second semester 2024-2, under the guidance of the teachers Sandra Milena Díaz López and Doris Duarte Hernández.
In these spaces, the students visited the facilities of the “El Edén” nursery, lands in process of ecological restoration, “Topocoro” reservoir and shared experiences with forestry engineers graduated from the UIS, Ciro Alfonso Peña, biotic professional of ISAGEN S.A. E.S.P. and Norberto Alvarado of the company CMR.
Also, with the support and management of ASOPROMANATI, they visited the Campo Duro and Ciénaga de Paredes, located in the municipality of Puerto Wilches. During this tour, the Forestry Health students carried out activities to identify pathogens that affect the forests and trees of the town center, and shared with the group of children who make up the group “Guardians of the Swamp Collective”.
They also developed an academic exercise to learn about the morphology of different insects associated with the territory and as a result prepared an insectarium that was donated to the group as a contribution to the environmental education process they are carrying out.
During the field day, they also established different sampling units to study the forest relicts located around the Paredes swamp, and shared with the members of the community to learn about their relationship with and use of timber and non-timber forest products in their territory.
With the support and contribution of all the members of the group and as part of the outreach activities carried out by the Universidad Industrial de Santander, school kits were given to the children who make up the “Guardians of the Swamp Collective” group, with whom they shared different environmental education activities on the management, use and exploitation of natural resources.
Doris Duarte, forestry engineer and teacher, said “Among the activities carried out and as part of the importance of conservation, management, use and exploitation of natural resources, a group of students designed, developed and contributed to the community a mural alluding to the forest balance”.
Finally, the students visited the Cabildo Verde de Sabana de Torres Civil Society Nature Reserve, where they learned about the wildlife management, conservation and ecological restoration activities that have been carried out since 1994.
These experiences allow students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a real environment, and strengthen the ties between the University and the community.
