Use of images from the collections of the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center is strictly prohibited by law without prior written consent from the copyright holders. The responsibility for the use of these materials rests exclusively with the user. The Bradley Center may assist in obtaining copyright/licensing permission to use images from the Richard Cross collection. http://www.csun.edu/bradley-center/contact
Description
A rock formation at Cañaveral Beach, one of two beaches located within Tayrona National Natural Park, in the Colombian city of Santa Marta. Tayrona National Natural Park is located along Colombia’s northern coast between the Caribbean Sea and the Santa Marta Mountains and falls within the jurisdiction of Magdalena Department. Founded in 1964 by order of the Colombian government, the Park has become one of Colombia’s most important parks. It is also important to the abundant fauna that lives in the area as it is a natural habitat for hundreds of animal and plant species. Within the park, there are 40 species of bats, 59 species of mammals, 396 species of birds and a wide variety of reptiles, as well as many marine species including mollusks, crustaceans, coral reefs, and algae, who call the park home. Notwithstanding its abundant wildlife, the Park is also home to an impressive variety of flora which lives in dry, rain and cloud forests, and thorny shrubland ecosystems and includes ceiba and avocado trees and moss. Before Spain’s conquest and colonization, the area that is now the park was home to settlements built by the Tairona indigenous peoples, who left archaeological evidence of their presence. Though there is evidence of their ancient settlements, many groups still inhabit the area, including the Kankuamo, Kogui, Wiwa and Arhuaco, though they do not live inside the park. They share what continues to be their ancestral land, which is protected and respected as human heritage, with other ethnic groups like mestizos and Afro-Colombians. In this abundant land, these communities make a living working in the industries that were born out of the area’s development: tourism, fishing, agriculture, and livestock farming. Richard Cross took these images during his work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1975-1978. He was assigned to work for the former National Institute of Renewable Resources and the Environment and his task was to create a visual record of the exceptional fauna and flora of Colombia’s Caribbean region. Una formación rocosa en la playa Cañaveral, una de dos playas localizada dentro del Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona en la ciudad colombiana de Santa Marta. El Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona se ubica sobre la costa del norte de Colombia entre el Mar Caribe y la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta y cae bajo la jurisdicción del departamento de Magdalena. Fundado en 1964 por orden del gobierno colombiano, se ha convertido en uno de los parques natural más importantes de Colombia y para la abundante fauna que habita en el área pues funge como un hábitat natural para cientos de especies de animales y plantas. Dentro del parque habitan 40 especies de murciélagos, 59 especies de mamíferos, 396 especies de aves y una variedad de reptiles al igual que una presencia notable de especies marinas que incluye moluscos, crustáceos, corales, y algas, entre otros. No obstante su abundante vida salvaje, el parque también es sede de una impresionante variedad de ecosistemas que incluyen bosques secos, húmedos y nublados y matorrales espinosos y resaltan los árboles ceiba y de aguacate y musgo. Antes de la conquista y colonización española, el área que es ahora el parque fue sede de asentamientos de los indígenas Tairona, quienes dejaron abundante evidencia arqueológica. Aunque existe evidencia de sus asentamientos antiguos, varios grupos indígenas aún viven en el área, cuyos nombres son Kankuamo, Kogui, Wiwa y Arhuaco, aunque no viven dentro del parque. Ellos comparten lo que sigue siendo su territorio ancestral, protegido y respetado como patrimonio de la humanidad, con otros grupos étnicos como mestizos y afrocolombianos. En esta tierra tan abundante, estas comunidades se ganan la vida trabajando en las industrias del turismo, la pesca, la agricultura, y la ganadería, que nacieron con el desarrollo del parque. Richard Cross tomó esta fotografía durante su estancia en Colombia como voluntario de la organización estadounidense Peace Corps entre los años 1975-1978. Él fue asignado a trabajar para el entonces Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales (INDERENA) y su asignación fue crear una documentación fotográfica de la excepcional flora y fauna de la región caribeña de Colombia.
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