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Half an hour from Caracas, hidden among the mountains, is an oasis to disconnect for a while from the troubles of the busy and hectic capital city. Four hectares make up what is now known as Topotepuy Ecological Gardens, a place to embrace Mother Nature, discover the exotic mysteries of its Cloud Forest or Virgin Forest (1 hectare) or enjoy the different tropical gardens and their thousands of diverse plants and beautiful flowers. Topotepuy has an exceptional view of Caracas and offers bird watchers a privileged space for the appreciation of species: in these gardens there are more than 9 varieties of hummingbirds (tucusitos) and other flying friends.
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In 1959, William H. Phelps Jr. and Kathleen Phelps (Billy and Kathy) acquired a property in Cerro El Volcán, south of the city of Caracas, in order to build to spend the weekends dedicated to their interests and passions: ornithology, gardening, ecology, and conservationism. Billy and Kathy made more than 40 expeditions around the country to build the largest private collection of birds in South America.
This property was called Topotepuy, to commemorate his years as an expeditionary among exotic tepuis, very traditional geological formations of southern Venezuela.
In 2003, the project began with the help of Landscape Architect Ricardo Fuenmayor in order to turn this space into a spearhead for the promotion of ecological awareness, environmental protection and conservation. It is in 2009 when the doors open to the public and since then they have promoted their values such as environmental education, through contact with nature and recreation, the generation of green jobs, incentives to study biological sciences and environmentalists . All in order to be economically sustainable.
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