Juan Sebastián Ávila Pérez
2026 Eco-Hero
3rd PLACE
Juan Sebastián Ávila Pérez
Age 14
Neiva, Colombia
Wings of Inclusion: Vibrotactile Tech Tools for Accessible Birdwatching
At 14 years old, conservationist and inventor Juan Sebastián Ávila Pérez is breaking down accessibility barriers in environmental education. Five years ago, Sebastián launched a grassroots campaign dedicated to protecting Colombia’s rich avian biodiversity and preventing further species extinctions. Throughout his extensive journey as a birdwatcher, he has designed and led playful workshops, lectures, and educational talks focused on raising civic awareness—integrating tree-planting days and waste-collection drives directly into these educational sessions. During these activities, he noticed that deaf children were routinely excluded from outdoor conservation because they could not hear standard avian communication. Driven by the firm belief that environmental justice cannot have communication barriers and that everyone has an equal right to explore nature, Sebastián initiated "Wings of Inclusion" (Alas de Inclusión) in 2025 to make ecological spaces completely accessible.
To bridge this gap, Sebastián collaborated with a school teacher to program an original, specialized vibrotactile prototype device. The wearable technological tool captures acoustic birdsong through an external receiver and dynamically translates the unique frequencies into distinct physical vibrations. Because different avian species possess unique acoustic signatures, the device alters its physical vibration patterns, allowing deaf users to distinctly "feel" and identify different bird calls through tactile feedback on their arms. Despite severe economic limitations and immense difficulty sourcing hardware parts, Sebastián successfully moved the device past its initial technical proof-of-concept phase and is currently refining the wiring to make the arm-mounted device more compact and lightweight.
Before developing the hardware, Sebastián faced steep age discrimination from adults who openly questioned what a young child could teach the community about biodiversity. To combat this skepticism, he designed and distributed highly detailed informational brochures, erected physical biodiversity signage across public green spaces, and launched interactive field tours featuring strategically placed QR codes that allow hikers to scan and access native bird biographies. His persistent outreach ultimately transformed local civic attitudes. He was chosen to feature as a conservation protagonist in episode four, "Cantar de las aves" ("Song of the Birds"), of the national animated television series El frailejón Ernesto Pérez y las sombras siniestras (Ernesto Pérez the Espeletia and the Sinister Shadows).
Sebastián's advocacy has expanded rapidly across international borders. He presented his research at the International Bird Congress in Manizales, traveled to Peru for the CIENTEC Science and Technology event, and is scheduled to speak at an upcoming event in Asunción, Paraguay, this September. He also actively represented the Guardians for Life and Bird Guardians collectives at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 16) in Colombia, explicitly linking avian conservation to global climate justice. Sebastián is currently conducting field trials with local deaf youth and studying foreign languages so he can eventually deliver his specialized biodiversity workshops to international audiences.
"Environmental education shouldn't have walls or exclusions, because every person has an intrinsic right to experience and defend nature. When I first organized birdwatching walks, nobody showed up except my parents, but consistency completely changed public awareness. If we remain persistent, every small act eventually adds up to a powerful, lasting impact for our planet."
