In a place where the passion for knowledge intertwines with a love for nature, the story of Nilsa Lorena Alvear Narváez begins. From a young age, Nilsa dreamed of uncovering the secrets of life, and it was within the classrooms of the University of Cauca where she found the perfect space to make her dreams bloom. Today, after a journey full of learning and challenges, she returns to her Alma Mater, not only as a graduate but as a mentor to 50 young people who, like her, aspire to transform the world from the grassroots of Environmental Sciences.

The University of Cauca is more than just an academic space; it is a place where the roots of knowledge merge with a passion for teaching. This #HeritageOfAll shelters a flourishing garden where its graduates become the new guides for future generations. Among this special group stands out Professor Nilsa Lorena Alvear Narváez, who is not only a part-time lecturer in the Department of Biology but also a living testimony to the transformative power of education.

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“I was born in the municipality of La Unión, Nariño, where I spent part of my life. I come from a large and loving family, with my maternal grandmother as the cornerstone of unity. I am a woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, professor, researcher, and lifelong learner. I arrived in 1999 to study Biology at Unicauca, beginning a journey of discovery in a science that was unfamiliar to me at the time, but gradually captivated me through its diverse and complex ways of understanding life. As a student, I joined the Environmental Studies Group (GEA), where I participated in various roles such as research assistant, young researcher, then as a doctoral scholarship student in Environmental Sciences, and now as a part-time professor in the Department of Biology,” says Professor Lorena with great pride.

As our Unicaucana protagonist shares, from her early student days she began to notice the gap between disciplinary science and the knowledge and realities of local communities. This led her to seek out new ways of studying and understanding territories.

This bold and particular decision led her to develop an interdisciplinary research line between ecology and environmental education, allowing her to contribute to the strengthening of “local and international networks for environmental education, support community training processes aimed at developing public policy tools; contribute to the establishment of educational-environmental processes in both formal and informal settings; and participate in various spaces of dissemination and critical reflection on participatory processes that move us toward an environmentally aware citizenship committed to collective well-being,” Lorena explains.

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In this sense, our professor has always believed that teaching is an act of generosity. Out of gratitude and a desire to give back for all that she has received, she felt called to contribute through a student research group. Her journey as a teacher is told through the voices of her “seeds.”

“Our research group was born in 2018 under the leadership of Professors Apolinar Figueroa and Mónica Valencia from the Doctorate in Environmental Sciences, with the goal of creating a space that involved students in interdisciplinary research and doctoral training. In 2020, before the pandemic was declared and after Professor Mónica left, I requested to take over as the group’s mentor. We started with 4 students from the Biology and Anthropology programs, working virtually on an environmental education and management project in Popayán. Since then, the group has grown by word of mouth, with students sharing their life-changing experiences. In the first semester of 2025, we now have 50 seeds, students and graduates from seven programs: Biology, Bachelor’s in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education, Environmental Engineering, Physics Engineering, Geography, Anthropology, and the Master’s in Continental Hydrobiological Resources,” Professor Lorena shares with heartfelt satisfaction.

For the past five years, this research group has participated in doctoral research projects, student conferences, academic publications, internal training activities, and even published a book on birds.

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They have also supported academic events, worked with communities, and presented their research in various forums. In fact, last year, their participation in the “Interurban Biological Corridor, Tulcán Sector” project enhanced their research skills and allowed them to present at local, national, and international events. They currently lead the “Environmental Sciences Lecture Series,” a space to share their reflections and research with the community. Undoubtedly, beyond academics, this group stands out for fostering friendship, cooperation, and collective work—key elements for a comprehensive education that connects knowledge with sensitivity, ethical commitment, and territorial transformation.

Just like seeds germinating in fertile soil, the Environmental Sciences Research Group has become the ground where each member finds the conditions to root their dreams, strengthen their stems, and unfold new leaves of knowledge, experience, and human connection. Under Professor Lorena’s attentive and generous care, these seeds have learned not only to grow but to see themselves as part of a larger ecosystem where learning is woven with empathy, commitment, and confidence in their own abilities.

From this deep place of gratitude, her students share reflections on what it has meant to walk beside her:

“The Environmental Sciences Research Group has been a space of deep learning, reflection, co-creation of knowledge, and the building of bonds that go far beyond academic research. With Professor Lore’s guidance, we have grown in our thinking, opened new possibilities, and developed both personally and professionally. Thank you for everything, profe!”

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“Sometimes our own fears limit us and prevent us from seeing the opportunities right in front of us. Thanks to Professor Lorena, we’ve learned to turn barriers into motivation, to find solutions where we once saw uncertainty, to see ourselves as part of meaningful projects. She inspires us every day, reminding us of our potential even when we forget it. She’s like a protective soul: warm, close, and incredibly motivating.”

“What’s most inspiring is how she opens doors to the outside world, supporting us through each process and preparing us not only to be great professionals but great human beings. Teaching is not just about delivering knowledge, it’s about living it. Professor Lorena makes us love learning, researching, sharing with others and that is real teaching.”

“Thank you, Professor Lorena, for planting so much in our lives.”

For this home that is our #HeritageOfAll, it is a true source of pride to see how these seeds, sown in this fertile land of knowledge, are beginning to bear fruit fueling new harvests that provide shade, nourishment, wisdom, and life to our department, our region, our country, and even reaching international spheres. Today, as part of our #StoriesThatInspire campaign, we thank Professor Lorena for being an essential part of this journey and invite students who dream of staying to teach, to do so, so we too can celebrate and one day say: Happy Teachers' Day!

 

Written by: Communications Management Center