River guardians risk own lives as they work to protect, restore Colombia's Atrato

PAIMADO, Colombia — Sediment and pebbles are all that's left on the earth around much of Bernardino Mosquera's small riverside community in northwest Colombia's Choco region.  Just a year ago, healthy shrubs and trees filled this important biodiversity spot teeming with species native to the land. But then illegal miners arrived, using their heavy machinery to dredge the riverbeds for gold.  "It's just desert here," said Mosquera. "Illegal mining affects the ecosystem in every way … it leads to degraded land.