The final blog post of my term as Restoration Steward 2022 is a small and heartfelt tribute to my father, Martín Humberto Lozano Sandoval, who passed away on 3 December 2022.
My father gave me an incredible childhood full of love and games. Thanks to him, I learned the value of family and work. Since I was a child, for more than 20 years, I watched him wake up at 4 AM to go to work to pay for my studies and cravings.
It was with my father that I first explored Colombia’s mountains, rivers and natural landscapes. With every trip we made during my childhood and adolescence, I grew to love nature more and more. Later, when I decided to study ecology, I had his unconditional support.
Despite life’s difficulties, my father always had a positive attitude until the very end. “Everything is going to be alright,” he used to say in his deep, resonant voice.
I want that to be my final reflection after a fantastic year in the Restoration Stewards program: everything is going to be alright.
Here are some of my main achievements in 2022 with the Restoration Stewards program:
- 2,000 trees planted
- Maintenance of 5,000 trees
- Two ecological restoration workshops with the community
- Attending international conferences, including the IV Brazilian Conference on Ecological Restoration
- Networking with professionals from various countries
- 13 blog posts published
Our ecosystem restoration projects will continue to grow and improve through constant work. We will continue to plant trees, share knowledge and learn. To all of you: Cheers, and I hope 2023 will be full of ecosystem restoration and lots of nature.
