About us
Our Mission
To promote the sustainable use of natural resources in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta and its foothills, while helping increase the well-being of local communities by developing socio-environmental programs.
Who we are
We are a team of 4 permanent staff members who work to help create positive change in the Sierra Nevada region through socio-environmental projects.
"It's easy to fall in love with Colombia's Sierra Nevada.
When I first visited Minca in 2010, I discovered a land of beautiful waterfalls, enormous jungle trees, snow-capped peaks and mountainside farms. More than nature, it was the warmth of the people here that drew me in. My understanding of the issues they faced was what led me to stay.
Through educational programs and animal clinics, we started by providing care for our community's pet population. Next, we focused on education as the foundation for a better future. Quickly, we understood that tourism was growing and we turned our attention there to reduce the negative effects created by this industry.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has great potential but faces many challenges. It is a region with very low standards of education for children, insufficient opportunities, and high poverty rates.
We are working to fix these issues, one social or environmental project at a time. Yet what drives us most are not the challenges we face but the change we see around us.
We see it in the smiles of children now inspired to care of the environment. We see it on the faces of the volunteers we host and the people they help. " - Diana Benincore Reyes, Director, Misión Gaia
Our Team
Diana Benincore
Executive DirectorFrance Lemoult
Educational Programs DirectorAdam Buzga
Mango Jam Coordinator & Sustainability OperationsRafael Velosa
VeterinarianBrigitte Eichenberger
Veterinarian NurseAndrea Medina
Operative assistantvolUnteers
Lina Jimenez
Operational Assistant
Diana Alzate
Animal Health & fundraising
BEST FRIENDS
Tito
Our paRtners
Mission Gaia works with rural communities, local schools, universities, governmental and private organizations in the Minca area of Sierra Nevada.
Afid ACCOUNTANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Junta de Acción Comunal de Minca
Asociación La Semilla de la Sierra
Intermundos
Jacana Jacana
Bioterra, Minca
Clinica Veterinaria San Rafael, Santa Marta
El Eden de Minca
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
Natmara - La Maison du Tri Sélectif