Our Team

Andrea is a biologist from the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia. She is the founder and co-owner of MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.  She loves birds, orchids and nature in general, having more than 5 years of experience in ornithology. Andrea has worked on scientific investigations of 4 species of important birds in danger of extinction; Blue-billed Curassow, Recurved-billed Bushbird, Perija Parakeet and the Yellow-eared Parrot, which have provided important information related to their biology and conservation. She also has experience in Managerial Management in Tourism.

Iván was born in 1991 in Bogotá, D.C.. He is a Tourism and hospitality manager and a Chef. Iván is passionate about nature, local communities and photography. He has traveled to many Colombian regions knowing, learning, working and falling in love with all the natural and cultural diversity of the country. His curiosity for birds began in 2019 when he saw a couple of torrent ducks swimming against the currents of the Otún River, since then he has wanted to learn and photograph the birds that can be found in Colombia “the country of the birds”.

I am Sindy Lavacude, born in the municipality of Chita, Boyacá. I am a tourism and hotel management professional, and I earned my degree with pride from the renowned Juan de Castellanos University Foundation, located in the charming city of Tunja, Boyacá. I’ve forged my experience in the public sector, being part of the team at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, and contributing to the dynamic Boyacá Tourism Department, where I’ve focused on the exciting task of planning and developing tourism. But this is more than just a job, it’s my passion! I’m passionate about all aspects of this profession, especially those that have a social and sustainable impact. I’m ready to continue creating wonderful tourism experiences!

Jessica is a “caleruna,” hailing from the welcoming hamlet of Frailejonal, located in La Calera, Cundinamarca. She is an adventurous, outgoing, and nature-loving person. Since the age of 12, her love for the countryside led her to explore and interact with mountains, fostering a heightened sensitivity and deep appreciation for understanding all aspects of a landscape.

As she ventured forth, her curiosity grew, driving her to seek closer connections with communities and individuals from diverse cultures, aiming to comprehend how they perceived their surroundings. This curiosity led her to focus her studies on Modern Languages with an emphasis on digital communication at the EAN University, where she discovered the importance of interculturality within her profession.

Over the past two and a half years, Jessica has directed her personal and professional knowledge towards the environmental and tourism sector. She has worked with Suasie and Andareguiando, community agencies dedicated to ecotourism and environmental education in the Chingaza National Natural Park and its surrounding areas. In this capacity, she has served as a guide and interpreter, advocating for the conservation of natural and cultural values in the region. Through her active involvement, she has contributed to strengthening the corporate identity of the companies involved, integrating all the knowledge she has gained throughout her journey.

Angela Liliana Tavera is a professional in tourism and hotel management, graduated from the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia. She has over 8 years of experience in the hotel industry and travel agencies. She loves walks, connecting with nature, and spending time with herself; she enjoys the company of friends and family, accompanied by the sound of a guitar, the warmth of a campfire, and a delicious glass of wine.

I am Ana Barajas, I live in Tunja-Boyacá for several years, I am an accounting and administrative technician, with experience for more than 18 years, providing support in legalizing accounting and financial documentation that allows control of the overall management of the Company, based on in accounting principles generally accepted in Colombia and in accordance with current tax regulations.

Biologist from the National University, member of the ornithology group of the same university since 2011 and coordinator between 2012 and 2013. Developed a research project: implications of seed dispersal by birds and its implication in natural restoration in the Colombian eastern plain to get his BSc. Worked during a year developing a database of morphology of birds of high Andean and Paramo ecosystems for Alexander von Humboldt research institute, also one year collecting information of birds of the upper Bogotá river basin for international conservation NGO, has worked in different project proposing new areas for conservation in the transitional area between the eastern plains and the Amazon forest, developed two projects to obtain information of two migratory warblers (Cerulean Wabler and Golden-winged Warbler), and have collaborate in books: “Colibries en Colombia” (Cap. Orinoquia and Amazonia)  and “Aves de Casanare” (ed. Villegas) and co-author of the book “Tesoros alados” (ed. Alas de Cristal), Scientific articles published: “Aves de la Orinoquia Colombiana” (Birds of the Colombian Orinoquia – Diversidad Biótica) and “a morphological database for 606 species of birds of Colombia ”(Ecogology). part of the coordination committee for the Ornithology national meeting in 2013 (Guaviare – Colombia) and 2017 (Mocoa – Colombia) Freelance guide since 2012. Since 2017 full-time guide and Chief operations officer for Manakin Nature Tours.

Alejandro is a French-Venezuelan empiric ornithologist since 8 years old when his fascination for nature and wildlife began at El Parque Nacional Ávila, in Caracas (Venezuela), his hometown. Currently, he has acquired 18-years of experience in ornithology. It all started in 2001 when he participated as a field assistant on a survey about the ethnobiological knowledge of a Yanomami ethnic subgroup called the Shirian. After this experience, he worked for many years as a bird guide and natural historian within the worldwide acclaimed “Hato El Cedral” and “Hato Piñero” in the Venezuelan Plains. Alejandro also performed guided visits for bird watching companies from America, the United Kingdom, and Europe with Chris Sharpe at Birding Venezuela, and Ascanio Birding Tours (David Ascanio). His research fieldwork and birding training, have taken him all across Venezuela. For decades, he spent time at the Parque Nacional Tama, which is shared with Colombia at the last trail from the Eastern range on the Andes, searching for unregistered species such as the Tachira Antpitta and having the privilege to be among the pioneers who rediscovered the locally restricted Orinoco Softtail. After birdwatching at the six largest avifauna places on the planet and being overwhelmed by the massive diversity of his neighboring country, Alejandro arrived in Colombia in 2016 and is now part of the guide’s team at MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.

David Jara is a 25 year old young man from the Eastern Plains. He has devoted part of his life to ecotourism. At the age of 14, he began leading nature tours with visitors from other countries. He is a certified adventure sports guide, with qualifications in rafting, kayaking, rappelling, and canyoning. In 2018, he delved into the world of birdwatching in the Meta department. Since then, his life took a turn. He began to see the world through different eyes, transitioning from being a birdwatching enthusiast to becoming a leading guide, trained by instructor Sergio Ocampo, who has over 25 years of experience in training birdwatching guides. His hobby involves traveling to new locations, seeking out birds in indigenous, rural, and farming communities, aiming to promote birdwatching as an environmental and economic solution while strengthening socio-cultural development, believing in the transformation of the region.

Daniel was born in 1987 in Manizales and is still living there. He got an Electronic Engineer degree in 2011, but some years ago, he found his passion for birdwatching and began to work on bird’s conservation at the SCO (Sociedad Caldense de Ornitología). There he was on charge of the coordination of some programs like, The Counts that are carried out during the year, and other programs in which we seek to publicize the wonderful world of birds to different actors in the community. Now, He is working as a Birdwatching Guide in Tinamú Birding Nature Reserve and Río Blanco Protected Forest Reserve since 2016, when he started studying Touristic Guidance, and now he is part of our team as the main guide for the Andean area.

Thanks to his passion for knowledge of Colombian daytime butterflies, Fredy has traveled along the country (Caribbean coast, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena Valley, Orinoquía, Amazonia, and the Bogotá Savannah) to carry out different research on ecosystems conservation and the populations of rare and endemic species. He studied Biology at the Universidad del Atlántico where he wrote his first scientific article and by now, more than 10 of his articles have been published in different specialized journals. He has participated in many library publications, where the most relevant books have been published, offering photographs and video footage of Lepidoptera species in their natural habitat. He is a founding member of ACOLEP (Colombian Lepidopterology Association) and ACZ (Colombian Zoological Association). Over the last few years, he has carried out research in the south of the country, especially in the Putumayo forest, a zone that contains perhaps the most diverse fauna in Colombia. He has produced photography catalogs at different altitudes in the country and managed to photograph more than 900 species in this area of the country alone. Since 2012, he has been in charge of different butterfly’s research and photography trips in different national ecosystems. Fredy is probably one of the most important experts in butterflies in the country and is the new specialized guide for MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.