The Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences, the country’s oldest non-governmental organization, one that has made the most contributions to studying Venezuela’s biodiversity, reach its 80th anniversary on Oct. 29. “It emerged in times of the legendary dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez (1908-1935) in a rural country, when the environmental issue was still unknown, and was a pioneer in studies about nature and its conservation,” María Eugenia Gil Beroes, director of the environmental group Aguaclara, told Tierramérica.

“Despite the shortage of resources that overwhelms non-governmental organizations, the SVCN remains active with committees on spelunking, orchids, astronomy and protected areas, and has provided a home to the rebirth of the Ara Network, a coalition of environmental groups,“ she said.