The Las Moyas, a hike that I did recently with some friends from my program, is a great example of the Oriental Hills of Bogotá. Since the Las Moyas trail leads hikers through a páramo ecoysystem, I was able to find my new favorite plant! I told you about it last time, do you remember its name? Look at the picture to find out!
The páramo ecoysystem contains vegetation that regulates the quality and cleanliness of the water used by people in Bogotá. The mountains are very important for recreational uses and tourism, and also are culturally important for the spiritual well-being of Rollos, or people from Bogotá. Finally, the environment surrounding Bogotá provides a livelihood for people who sell products sourced from nature.
Unfortunately, the environment of Bogotá is regularly harmed by pollution, which in turn harms the residents. After our hike, we went to a very interesting exhibit on environmental awareness in Colombia and Latin America. At the exhibit, there were a number of fascinating images that explained pollution in Bogotá. The massive bus transportation system, called el Transmilenio, has brought lots of smog, or air pollution, into the area. In fact, you can see the smog from this photo that I took of the expansive Bogotá city layout. While the city is working on a subway or metro system that will lessen pollution, it probably won't be finished for 20 - 50 years.
