Colombian teen draws, donates bird guide to raise awareness

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO
Associated Press

Jacobo Rendon knows dozens of birds by name and grew up drawing them. During the coronavirus pandemic, the 14-year-old from the Antioquia region of Colombia turned that passion into a conservation project and a labor of love. He has been working on a photographic and illustrated bird guide that he plans to donate to his municipality. Rendon hopes the guide will inspire other teenagers to illustrate and help preserve birds in one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. He was recently recognized as one of the 2021 International Young Eco-Hero winners by the Action for Nature nonprofit.