About Terramada
Our Mission and Vision
TerrAmada was formalized as a non-profit organization with the Colombian Government at the beginning of 2021; however, it has been operating “unofficially” since 2019 with the help of the Founders’ high school friends and others throughout Colombia, Germany, Canada and the United States. Our main focus to-date has been to work with Wayuu indigenous communities in the Caribbean region of La Guajira, a chronically impoverished department in Colombia. We do however plan to expand to other regions in Colombia that have been deeply impacted by political and social unrest.
At TerrAmada we follow a “KEEP IT SIMPLE” approach to meet our goals and minimize operating costs. We have the benefit of being able to draw expertise from extremely knowledgeable people with experience in Environmental Foundations, Environment Restoration Projects and, best of all, unconditional support from all our donors, family, and friends.
FOUNDERS
Bernhard Münchmeyer
Bernhard was born and raised in Colombia to German parents. He graduated from the German School in Cali. After graduation, he moved to Germany to begin his university studies where he studied agricultural sciences at the University of Hohenheim and received a Master’s degree in the field of plant production.
After completing his studies, he began operating the family-owned farm in Colombia.
Today Bernhard lives in Germany and works in the flower import business. He shares a passion for the marginalized communities in Colombia and the special environments that Colombia offers.
Bernd and Ernest continue to be great friends and share a passion for Colombia’s peoples, cultures, and nature.
Ernest Leupin
Ernest was born and raised in Colombia from Canadian and US parents. He also graduated from the German School in Cali. He received a Master’s Degree in Conservation Biology from the University of British Columbia in Canada.
He now works as an Environmental Consultant addressing rare and endangered wildlife species, Impact assessments of large-scale developments, and habitat conservation and restoration. Ernest later founded Colombia Wild Ecotours to promote environmentally sustainable Ecotourism in Colombia and to support local communities that protect their natural resources.
Ernest moves back and forth from his hometown in British Columbia to Colombia to lead occasional birdwatching tours.
OUR TEAM
Luz Estela Herrera
Luz Estela is the local organizer for all our activities in La Guajira Colombia where TerrAmada operates. She provides healthy meals for the children, and greatly assists in environmental cleaning and restoration programs.
Living in Camarones, Guajira, and steps away from these communities, she is deeply familiar with the Wayuu culture and has become an indispensable member of our team in the implementation of our projects.
Originally employed as a Nurse Assistant and Child Educator, she became interested in TerrAmada and has been a part of the team since 2019.
Wayuú Comunities
The success of our project is highly dependent on working cooperatively with the communities. Their full participation is needed in every aspect of each of the activities.
Each community has taken the initiative to continue to maintain their communities clean and are prepared to take on and work in synchrony with the goals. Wayuu settlements are proud of their heritage. Our cooperative effort will bring us close to what we share and learn. Luz Estela provided us with this bridge, combined with our prescense, local oppotunities. Combined visions will see that we achieve our common goals. As the beneficiaries we need tow rely on the incorporation of their cultural needs Without them, this project would not exist. We are grateful to be able to work with them.
Our Mission
We seek conservation, protection, restoration and the sustainable and responsible use of the environment and its biodiversity. We accomplish this through social programs, environmental projects and by promoting environmental awareness within the cultural framework of each community. This vision, and its goal to obtain positive and long-term effects of environmental sustainability, can only be achieved with continuity, the input and full cooperation, and active cultural and social involvement of the leaders, elders, and members of the communities we work with.
Our Vision
We want to promote the protection and revitalization of our environment by providing on-the-ground tools and assistance to children, their mothers, and elders, and instilling environmental awareness, through activities that include environmental cleaning projects and environmental restoration programs in marginalized communities. We also take seriously the cultures of the populations with which we work. The success of our objectives and programs depends on the constitution of strategic funding, continuity, work initiatives, and alliances with local communities, public, private, national and international entities.
