» Academic and Professional Experience

2001-2004. PhD Thesis: Junca H. 2004. Characterization of Genetic Potential, Catabolic Structure, and Degrading Activities of Microbial Communities from Oligotrophic Aquifers during Adaptation to Organic Contaminants" AMICO EC project (FP5). Doctoral Thesis, TU-Braunschweig.  Thesis awarded with Summa Cum Laude, Supervisor: PD Dr. Dietmar Pieper 

2008-present. Postdoctoral Research Scientist. Research Groups Molecular Biotechnology & Research Group Microbial Genetics, CorpoGen, Bogota DC, Colombia.

2008-present. Associate Researcher.  Center of Research Excellence Colombian Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics of Extreme Environments - GeBiX, Colombia.

2011-2012. Adjunct Professor. National University of Colombia (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá) www.docentes.unal.edu.co/hajuncad

2010-2015. Head of Research Group. RG Microbial Ecology: Metabolism, Genomics and Evolution | CorpoGen, Bogota DC, Colombia.

2012-2015. Full Professor ("Profesor Titular") Biochemistry & Applied Microbiology | Director of M.Sc. Programme MU Nueva Granada - UMNG (Universidad Militar Nueva Granada - UMNG) www.umng.edu.co | http://goo.gl/xn8eSRG, Cajica Campus, Bogota DC, Colombia.

2015-present: Founder and Director Microbiomas Research Foundation (Fundación de Investigación -Microbiomas-) www.microbiomas.org

» Memberships and Awards

1998- Young Researcher fellowship. National Institute for Development of Science and Technology of Colombia, Colciencias

1998- Member of Colombian Association for Advancement of Science ACAC

2004- Doctoral Title awarded with Summa Cum Laude

2006- Member of the American Society for Microbiology - ASM

2006- Fellowship from FEMS.

2006- Member of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology – VAAM (Germany)

2006- Member of the Public Library of Science (PLoS)

2010- Founding Member and President 2010-2012 of the Colombian Society for Microbiology (ACM)

2010-2012 Third Vice-president of the Latin-American Association for Microbiology (ALAM)

2012-2014 President of the Latin-American Association for Microbiology (ALAM) and Organizer of the XXII Latin American Congress for Microbiology ALAM 2014 www.microbiologialatinoamericana.org

» Reviewer for international journals (>55 articles since 2003)

Environmental Microbiology (Blackwell Publishing)

Environmental Science & Technology (ACS Publications)

Trends in Biotechnology (Elsevier)

FEMS Microbiology Ecology (under Elsevier or Blackwell)

Journal of Applied Microbiology (Wiley)

Microbiology-SGM (Society of General Microbiology, UK)

Mycological Research (Cambridge Journals)

FEMS Microbiology Letters (under Elsevier or Blackwell)

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Springer)

Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research (Invemar)

Bioresource Technology (Elsevier)

Journal of Environmental Quality (ASA, CSSA, and SSSA)

European Journal of Soil Biology (Elsevier)

  
Publications in international peer-reviewed journals

Only articles indexed by ISI Thompson Scientific and Scopus Google Scholar

External repositories:     
                    
                         

Full list

Garcia-Bonilla E, Brandão  PFB, Pérez T, Junca H. Stable and enriched Cenarchaeum symbiosum and Uncultured Betaproteobacteria HF1 in the microbiome of the Mediterranean sponge Haliclona fulva (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida).
2018. In review. Revision submitted to Microbial Ecology (Springer). Preprint available.

Villegas-Plazas M, Wos-Oxley M, Sanchez JA, Pieper DH, Thomas OP, Junca H. Microbial diversity and metabolite profiles associated with the marine sponge Xestospongia muta at different depths across two seasons in the Port of Portobelo, Panama.
2018. Submitted to Microbiome Journal (BMC). Preprint available.

Tibatá VM, Junca H, Sánchez AO, Corona M, Ariza F, Figueroa J. Molecular detection of Melissococcus plutonius assessed in Africanized honey bee populations (A. mellifera) in three regions of Colombia.
2018. Journal of Apicultural Research. Accepted. In press. doi:10.1080/00218839.2018.1439151

Impacts of potato cultivation and livestock on the diversity of the microbial community (V5-V6 regions of 16S rRNA) found in Neotropical high Andean Páramo soils in Nevados National Natural Park (NevadosNNP), Colombia. Avellaneda-Torres LM, León-Sicard TE, Galvez EJC, Junca H, Torres-Rojas E.
2018. Submitted to CATENA (Elsevier). Preprint available.

Determination of the Africanized mitotypes in populations of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) of Colombia.  Tibatá VM, Arias E, Corona M, Ariza-Botero F, Figueroa-Ramírez J, Junca H.
Journal of Apicultural Research. 2018. 57:2 219-227,. 10.1080/00218839.2017.1409065

Comparative Assessment of Mediterranean Gorgonian-Associated Microbial Communities Reveals Conserved Core and Locally Variant Bacteria. van de Water JA, Melkonian R, Voolstra CR, Junca H, Beraud E, Allemand D, Ferrier-Pagès C.
Microbial Ecology. 2017 Feb;73(2):466-478. doi: 10.1007/s00248-016-0858-x. Epub 2016 Oct 10.

Jeroen A.J.M. Van de Water, Rémy Melkonian, Christian R. Voolstra, Howard Junca, Eric Beraud, Denis Allemand, Christine Ferrier-Pagès: Comparative assessment of Mediterranean gorgonian-associated microbial communities reveals conserved core and locally variant bacteria. Microbial Ecology 10/2016;  DOI:10.1007/s00248-016-0858-x

Eric J. C. Gálvez, Katerine Carrillo-Castro, Lina Zárate, Linda Güiza, Dietmar H. Pieper, Erika García-Bonilla, Marcela Salazar, Howard Junca: Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus licheniformis CG-B52, a Highly Virulent Bacterium of Pacific White Shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei ), Isolated from a Colombian Caribbean Aquaculture Outbreak. Genome Announcements 06/2016; 4(3). DOI:10.1128/genomeA.00321-16

Jeroen A J M Van De Water, Rémy Melkonian, Howard Junca, Christian R Voolstra, Stéphanie Reynaud, Denis Allemand, Christine Ferrier-Pagès: Spirochaetes dominate the microbial community associated with the red coral Corallium rubrum on a broad geographic scale. Scientific Reports 06/2016; 6. DOI:10.1038/srep27277

Ido Amit, David Baker, Roger Barker, Bonnie Berger, Carolyn Bertozzi, Sangeeta Bhatia, Alessandra Biffi, Francesca Demichelis, Jennifer Doudna, Steven F Dowdy, Drew Endy, Moritz Helmstaedter, Howard Junca, Carl June, Sasha Kamb, Anastasia Khvorova, Dae-hyeong Kim, Jin-Soo Kim, Yamuna Krishnan, Melike Lakadamyali, Tuuli Lappalainen, Sharon Lewin, James Liao, Nick Loman, Emma Lundberg, Lee Lynd, Cathie Martin, Ira Mellman, Atsushi Miyawaki, Christine Mummery, Karen Nelson, Jeanne Paz, Pamela Peralta-Yahya, Paola Picotti, Kornelia Polyak, Kristala Prather, Jun Qin, Stephen Quake, Aviv Regev, John A Rogers, Reshma Shetty, Morten Sommer, Molly Stevens, Gustavo Stolovitzky, Masayo Takahashi, Fuchou Tang, Sarah Teichmann, Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, Leena Tripathi, Praveen Vemula, Greg Verdine, Frank Vollmer, Jun Wang, Jackie Y Ying, Feng Zhang, Tian Zhang: Voices of biotech. Nature Biotechnology 03/2016; 34(3). DOI:10.1038/nbt.3502

Paula M. Martínez-Lavanchy, Zhongbing Chen, Vanessa Lünsmann, Vianey Marin-Cevada, Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas, Dietmar H. Pieper, Nils Reiche, Uwe Kappelmeyer, Valentina Imparato, Howard Junca, Ivonne Nijenhuis, Jochen A. Müller, Peter Kuschk, Hermann J. Heipieper: Microbial Toluene Removal in Hypoxic Model Constructed Wetlands Occurs Predominantly via the Ring Monooxygenation Pathway. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 08/2015; 81(18). DOI:10.1128/AEM.01822-15

Alvaro Mongui, Francy J Pérez-Llanos, Marcio M Yamamoto, Marcela Lozano, Maria M Zambrano, Patricia Del Portillo, Carmen Fernández-Becerra, Silvia Restrepo, Hernando A Del Portillo, Howard Junca: Development of a genetic tool for functional screening of anti-malarial bioactive extracts in metagenomic libraries. Malaria Journal 06/2015; 14(1). DOI:10.1186/s12936-015-0748-6

Igor S. Pessi, César Osorio-Forero, Eric J. C. Gálvez, Felipe L. Simões, Jefferson C. Simões, Howard Junca, Alexandre J. Macedo: Distinct composition signatures of archaeal and bacterial phylotypes in the Wanda Glacier forefield, Antarctic Peninsula. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 01/2015; 91(1). DOI:10.1093/femsec/fiu005

Hauke Harms, Howard Junca: Editorial overview: Environmental Biotechnology. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 04/2014; 27. DOI:10.1016/j.copbio.2014.04.002

Luisa Delgado-Serrano, Gina López, Laura C Bohorquez, José Ricardo Bustos, Carolina Rubiano, César Osorio-Forero, Howard Junca, Sandra Baena, María Mercedes Zambrano: Neotropical Andes hot springs harbor diverse and distinct planktonic microbial communities. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 04/2014; 89(1). DOI:10.1111/1574-6941.12333

Márcia Duarte, Ruy Jauregui, Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: AromaDeg, a novel database for phylogenomics of aerobic bacterial degradation of aromatics. Database The Journal of Biological Databases and Curation 01/2014; 2014(bau118). DOI:10.1093/database/bau118

Margreet J Oosterkamp, Teun Veuskens, Flavia Talarico Saia, Sander A B Weelink, Lynne A Goodwin, Hajnalka E Daligault, David C Bruce, John C Detter, Roxanne Tapia, Cliff S Han, Miriam L Land, Loren J Hauser, Alette A M Langenhoff, Jan Gerritse, Willem J H van Berkel, Dietmar H Pieper, Howard Junca, Hauke Smidt, Gosse Schraa, Mark Davids, Peter J Schaap, Caroline M Plugge, Alfons J M Stams: Genome Analysis and Physiological Comparison of Alicycliphilus denitrificans Strains BC and K601(T.). PLoS ONE 06/2013; 8(6). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0066971

Diego Javier Jiménez, Fernando Dini Andreote, Diego Chaves, José Salvador Montaña, Cesar Osorio-Forero, Howard Junca, María Mercedes Zambrano, Sandra Baena: Structural and Functional Insights from the Metagenome of an Acidic Hot Spring Microbial Planktonic Community in the Colombian Andes. PLoS ONE 12/2012; 7(12). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0052069

Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas, Robert Geffers, María Suárez-Diez, Ianina Conte, Agnes Waliczek, Vanessa Sabrina Kaser, Monika Kralova, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Analysis of the microbial gene landscape and transcriptome for aromatic pollutants and alkane degradation using a novel internally calibrated microarray system. Environmental Microbiology 04/2012; 15(4). DOI:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2012.02752.x

Angela Jiménez, Victor Tibatá, Howard Junca, Fernando Ariza, Noel Verjan, Carlos Iregui: Evaluating a nested-PCR assay for detecting Streptococcus agalactiae in red tilapia ( Oreochromis sp.) tissue. Aquaculture 12/2011; 321(3). DOI:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2011.09.011

Laura C Bohorquez, Luisa Delgado-Serrano, Gina López, César Osorio-Forero, Vanja Klepac-Ceraj, Roberto Kolter, Howard Junca, Sandra Baena, María Mercedes Zambrano: Erratum to: In-depth Characterization via Complementing Culture-Independent Approaches of the Microbial Community in an Acidic Hot Spring of the Colombian Andes. Microbial Ecology 11/2011; 63(1). DOI:10.1007/s00248-011-9977-6

Laura C Bohorquez, Luisa Delgado-Serrano, Gina López, César Osorio-Forero, Vanja Klepac-Ceraj, Roberto Kolter, Howard Junca, Sandra Baena, María Mercedes Zambrano: In-depth Characterization via Complementing Culture-Independent Approaches of the Microbial Community in an Acidic Hot Spring of the Colombian Andes. Microbial Ecology 09/2011; 63(1). DOI:10.1007/s00248-011-9943-3

Márcia Duarte, Frederico Ferreira-da-Silva, Heinrich Lünsdorf, Howard Junca, Luís Gales, Dietmar H Pieper, Olga C Nunes: Gulosibacter molinativorax ON4T Molinate Hydrolase, a Novel Cobalt-Dependent Amidohydrolase. Journal of bacteriology 08/2011; 193(20). DOI:10.1128/JB.05054-11

Margreet J Oosterkamp, Teun Veuskens, Caroline M Plugge, Alette A M Langenhoff, Jan Gerritse, Willem J H van Berkel, Dietmar H Pieper, Howard Junca, Lynne A Goodwin, Hajnalka E Daligault, David C Bruce, John C Detter, Roxanne Tapia, Cliff S Han, Miriam L Land, Loren J Hauser, Hauke Smidt, Alfons J M Stams: Genome Sequences of Alicycliphilus denitrificans Strains BC and K601 T. Journal of bacteriology 07/2011; 193(18). DOI:10.1128/JB.00365-11

Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Metabolic networks, microbial ecology and 'omics' technologies: Towards understanding in situ biodegradation processes. Environmental Microbiology 12/2010; 12(12). DOI:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02340.x

Newton C M Gomes, Cecilia G Flocco, Rodrigo Costa, Howard Junca, Ramiro Vilchez, Dietmar H Pieper, Ellen Krögerrecklenfort, Rodolfo Paranhos, Leda C S Mendonça-Hagler, Kornelia Smalla: Mangrove microniches determine the structural and functional diversity of enriched petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading consortia. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 11/2010; 74(2). DOI:10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00962.x

Ivonne Nijenhuis, Howard Junca, Nicole Stelzer, Gwenaël Imfeld, Stefanie Weber, Hans Richnow: In situ investigation of microbial diversity and anaerobic chlorobenzene degradation along a vertical gradient. Geochmica et Cosmochimica Acta 06/2009;

Beatriz Cámara, Patricia Nikodem, Piotr Bielecki, Roberto Bobadilla, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Characterization of a Gene Cluster Involved in 4-Chlorocatechol Degradation by Pseudomonas reinekei MT1. Journal of bacteriology 06/2009; 191(15). DOI:10.1128/JB.00331-09

Farrakh Mehboob, Howard Junca, Gosse Schraa, Alfons J M Stams: Growth of Pseudomonas chloritidismutans AW-1(T) on n-alkanes with chlorate as electron acceptor. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 05/2009; 83(4). DOI:10.1007/s00253-009-1985-9

Maria V Brennerova, Jirina Josefiova, Vladimir Brenner, Dietmar H Pieper, Howard Junca: Metagenomics reveals diversity and abundance of meta -cleavage pathways in microbial communities from soil highly contaminated with jet fuel under air-sparging bioremediation. Environmental Microbiology 03/2009; 11(9). DOI:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01943.x

Nadja Kabelitz, Jirina Machackova, Gwenaël Imfeld, Maria Brennerova, Dietmar H Pieper, Hermann J Heipieper, Howard Junca: Enhancement of the microbial community biomass and diversity during air sparging bioremediation of a Northern Bohemia soil highly contaminated with kerosene and BTEX.. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 02/2009; 82(3). DOI:10.1007/s00253-009-1868-0

Beatriz Cámara, Macarena Marín, Michael Schlömann, Hans-Jürgen Hecht, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: trans-Dienelactone hydrolase from Pseudomonas reinekei MT1, a novel zinc-dependent hydrolase. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 10/2008; 376(2). DOI:10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.09.006

Sander A B Weelink, Nico C G Tan, Harm ten Broeke, Corné van den Kieboom, Wim van Doesburg, Alette A M Langenhoff, Jan Gerritse, Howard Junca, Alfons J M Stams: Isolation and Characterization of Alicycliphilus denitrificans Strain BC, Which Grows on Benzene with Chlorate as the Electron Acceptor. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 10/2008; 74(21). DOI:10.1128/AEM.00835-08

Hamdy A H Aly, Nguyen B Huu, Victor Wray, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Two Angular Dioxygenases Contribute to the Metabolic Versatility of Dibenzofuran-Degrading Rhodococcus sp. Strain HA01. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 07/2008; 74(12). DOI:10.1128/AEM.00226-08

Tania González, María Carmen Terrón, Susana Yagüe, Howard Junca, José María Carbajo, Ernesto Javier Zapico, Ricardo Silva, Ainhoa Arana-Cuenca, Alejandro Téllez, Aldo Enrique González: Melanoidin-containing wastewaters induce selective laccase gene expression in the white-rot fungus Trametes sp. I-62. Research in Microbiology 04/2008; 159(2). DOI:10.1016/j.resmic.2007.10.005

Robert Witzig, Hamdy A H Aly, Carsten Strömpl, Victor Wray, Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Molecular detection and diversity of novel diterpenoid dioxygenase DitA1 genes from proteobacterial strains and soil samples. Environmental Microbiology 06/2007; 9(5). DOI:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01242.x

Howard Junca: Eight Americas: A New Definition for “Americas”?. PLoS Medicine 02/2007; 4(1). DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040042

Robert Witzig, Howard Junca, Hans-Jürgen Hecht, Dietmar H Pieper: Assessment of Toluene/Biphenyl Dioxygenase Gene Diversity in Benzene-Polluted Soils: Links between Benzene Biodegradation and Genes Similar to Those Encoding Isopropylbenzene Dioxygenases. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 06/2006; 72(5). DOI:10.1128/AEM.72.5.3504-3514.2006

Barbara Hendrickx, Howard Junca, Jolana Vosahlova, Antje Lindner, Irene Rüegg, Margarete Bucheli-Witschel, Folkert Faber, Thomas Egli, Margit Mau, Michael Schlömann, Maria Brennerova, Vladimir Brenner, Dietmar H Pieper, Eva M Top, Winnie Dejonghe, Leen Bastiaens, Dirk Springael: Alternative primer sets for PCR detection of genotypes involved in bacterial aerobic BTEX degradation: Distribution of the genes in BTEX degrading isolates and in subsurface soils of a BTEX contaminated industrial site. Journal of Microbiological Methods 03/2006; 64(2). DOI:10.1016/j.mimet.2005.04.018

Howard Junca, Iris Plumeier, Hans-Jürgen Hecht, Dietmar H Pieper: Difference in kinetic behaviour of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase variants from a polluted environment. Microbiology 01/2005; 150(Pt 12). DOI:10.1099/mic.0.27451-0

M.C. Terrón, M López-Fernández, J.M. Carbajo, H Junca, A Téllez, S Yagüe, A Arana-Cuenca, T González, A.E. González: Tannic acid interferes with the commonly used laccase-detection assay based on ABTS as the substrate. Biochimie 09/2004; 86(8). DOI:10.1016/j.biochi.2004.07.013

Carlos A. Chacón-Martínez, Juan M. Anzola, Andrés Rojas, Freddy Hernández, Howard Junca, Walter Ocampo, Patricia Del Portillo: Identification and characterization of the α-L-arabinofuranosidase B of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 04/2004; 64(4-64). DOI:10.1016/j.pmpp.2004.08.005

Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Functional gene diversity analysis in BTEX contaminated soils by means of PCR-SSCP DNA fingerprinting. Environmental Microbiology 03/2004; 6(2). DOI:10.1046/j.1462-2920.2003.00541.x

Howard Junca, Dietmar H Pieper: Amplified functional DNA restriction analysis to determine catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene diversity in soil bacteria. Journal of Microbiological Methods 01/2004; 55(3). DOI:10.1016/S0167-7012(03)00214-8

Tania González, María del Carmen Terrón, Ernesto Zapico, Susana Yagüe, Alejandro Téllez, Howard Junca, Aldo González: Identification of a new laccase gene and confirmation of genomic predictions by cDNA sequences of Trametes sp I-62 laccase family. Mycological Research 07/2003; 107(Pt 6). DOI:10.1017/S0953756203007937

José M Carbajo, Howard Junca, Maria C Terrón, Tania González, Susana Yagüe, Ernesto Zapico, Aldo E González: Tannic acid induces transcription of laccase gene cglcc1 in the white-rot fungus Coriolopsis gallica. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 01/2003; 48(12). DOI:10.1139/w02-107

» Other interests and activities

Drumming

I am a professional drummer, with more than 25 years experience playing pop & rock music (hard rock, metal, progressive, latin and jazz rock).

I was the drummer for the recordings of Colombian rock bands Kabbalah 7 (1991-1995) and Aquanova (1995-1998) in Bogota; for the Spanish Indie rock band Viciana (1999-2001) in Madrid, and Drummer for the National Spanish TV Orchestra (Canal 1 TVE, 2000-2001) in Madrid.

I have vast experience in studio recording sessions and alive. Since 2008, back in Colombia, I have been involved as drummer or producer of various local artists such as Frank Font (pop rock), Julian Blanco (rock), Soul Warriors (power metal), Trux (metal).

Currently I am a drummer for studio recoding sessions for selected projects in different sound recording studios in Bogota and neighbouring areas.

I am not sponsored or endorsing any particular brand. My basic equipment includes a collection of Zildjian (K and Avedis 20" ping ride, 16" crashes and 12" splash), Sabian (22" Paragon Ride and AA 14" and 18" crashes, 10" splash and 13" hi-hats), Istanbul (15" Classic paper thin crash), Anatolian (17" Ultimate One crash) and Wuhan Cymbals (assorted 12", 14" and 18" Chinas and 14" heavy rock hi-hats), and Meinl (Raker 13 soundwave hi-hats and 10" splash) and a two drumsets both of 7-piece (8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 tms, 22 and 14 snares) both models 2015, Gretsch Catalina Maple in natural wood transparent lacquer and Tama Superstar Classic in blue transparent lacquer plus an auxiliary 13" x 6" piccolo Mapex maple snare drum. My set of microphones are (dynamic) ElectroVoice Co4, SM57, Behringer XM8500, and Senheiser for drums and percussion; and various small and large diaphragm condenser microphones (AKG and Behringer). I have a Korg digital recording studio D3200 and a USB 16 track Alesis interface to capture drums in 4 to 12 tracks (depending of the project) simultaneously at a maximum of 96 Khz at 48 bits. I have triggers to switch on an Alesis D4 percussion sound module and Yamaha pads, for inquiries about my services as drummer please contact me at: howard.junca (at] gmail.com

Sample at: https://youtu.be/CTbnpmehXhs

Ecology, environmental interests & projects

My father and I, we are the owners of a private natural reserve for biological resources conservation and educational purposes in Tabio, Cundinamarca, Colombia called "Bosque Carmen de los Juncales" "Escuela para amar el agua".

The idea of this preservation project my father had planned and developed, based on the previous inspiring experiences of Manuel Salazár (Manuel Semilla) and Tomás Issa, in Marsella, Risaralda, Colombia, consists in the involvement of any individual to contribute owning key areas for nature conservation, usually river basins of low cost areas in order to stop and to avoid incompatible agricultural practices, and to plant and to restore these areas with native vegetation. This also helps to control the access and the possible negative effects of people walking into water-producing fragile areas, and thus, aiming to keep them clean water sources.

The reserve has the key function to work as an educational place where primary, high school and university students are guided, learning from talks about the importance of nature conservation and water protection. Additionally, my father, Armando Junca, is the author of one of the first environmental education books approved by the Ministry of Education of Colombia for schools teaching nation-wide (Hacia una educación ambiental)

The example of this experience is found in a small area in Tabio, a little town near Bogota, that is very dependent of a clean water source that, despite its importance, has not been protected by official authorities for decades. In the neighbouring 50 km around (practically all the Sabana de Bogotá) there is no other clean water source available.

Since 30 years ago my father has been protecting and doing activities for planting more than 22.000 trees, in less than 4 hectares with previously destroyed vegetation of the mountain

My father is a well-recognized environmentalist and ecologist in Colombia, with more than 30 years engangement in environment protection issues, as member and founder of various foundations and civil organizations aiming to preserve nature and to stop its destruction for the next generations. This is a life time project he is currently fully involved and dedicated. His initiatives and personality had received the attention of local and national media.

He plays a character called "Mago Salmón" (Salmon Wizard); a name chosen as an analogy to his positive counterculture of environmental work, like going against the tide/current; swimming upstream, as the salmon fishes do.  

Some TV interviews can be found at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=armando+junca&search_type=&aq=f

  March 2018

  
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