How FBC Grew from a Group of Friends to a National Conservation Organisation
CATEGORIES:
El Silencio. Credit: FBC
This year marks the 20-year anniversary of Fundación Biodiversa Colombia’s (FBC’s) founding. What began in 2005 as a passionate team of friends with a shared vision for Colombia’s landscapes and wildlife has now become one of Colombia’s most respected conservation organisations – and now you can be part of their mission.
Headquartered in the forests of the Middle Magdalena Valley, FBC’s mission has always been to conserve Colombia’s natural heritage through scientific research with social involvement and sustainable productive projects. Here, FBC’s General Director Fernando Arbeláez tells us the story of how it began.
“When I was studying my Master’s in Tropical Ecology at the University of Amsterdam in the early 2000’s, there was a strong link between Amsterdam and Colombia; many professors, like Thomas van der Hammen, had worked extensively in Colombian ecosystems, and there were scholarships encouraging Colombians to study there.
Fundación Biodiversa Colombia’s (FBC’s) General Director Fernando Arbeláez has been with the organisation since 2006.
At this time, a group of Colombian students, many former classmates, returned from Amsterdam and decided to create FBC. They wanted a platform to develop conservation projects with strong social engagement. When I came back, they invited me to join. I wanted to do conservation on the ground, with communities, not just in academia, so I became an associate in 2006, joined the board in 2008 before becoming General Director in 2009 and I’ve been here ever since.
In those first years, we were just friends working voluntarily, doing other jobs to sustain ourselves.
In the beginning, it was very hard to get support from within Colombia. We received almost no funding from the government or local companies. Most support came from international partners, organisations like IUCN Netherlands and WLT. Over time, we’ve built relationships with Colombian companies who now support some of our projects. But it took many years to reach that point.
From its hopeful beginnings in 2005, FBC now employs a full team of rangers, tree nursery staff, seed collectors and more. Credit: FBC
The turning point came in 2012 when we acquired our first reserve with support from IUCN Netherlands. It was small, only 76 ha (187 acres), but it changed everything. We were no longer outsiders because we became neighbours to local communities and landowners and that built trust. The second milestone was expanding El Silencio with support from WLT and IUCN Netherlands. That proved we were serious about long-term conservation. From there, our work snowballed. Today, we’re protecting 3,400 ha (8,401 acres) and knowing that this forest will remain for future generations is one of the best feelings in the world.”
“What was once grassland is now thriving forest… when you give nature a chance, it comes back.”
The journey from humble roots to regional leader shows what local knowledge, steady patience, and strategic alliances can achieve. As they look to the future, their vision is clear: if you give nature a chance the land itself will reward you. And now, you can help FBC expand the extraordinary El Silencio Reserve once again.
By supporting our autumn appeal, you can help us expand El Silencio and be a part of the journey of this incredible organisation.
