<p>In this paper, we analyze the last three decades of knowledge practices of scientists and conservation practitioners regarding biodiversity in the Serranía de las Quinchas in Colombia’s Middle Magdalena Valley. We explore the knowledge practices of scientists and conservation practitioners as forms of territorialization developed by these actors, who work under complex conditions, in which peasant-<i>colonos</i> - landless peasants that are searching for land and that have experienced forced displacement due to violence or poverty - struggle to persist and take root within a territory dominated by paramilitary groups and oil companies. We study the knowledge practices of scientists, mainly biologists, and conservation practitioners in Serranía de las Quinchas to understand the conditions in which this place emerged as a site of biodiversity interventions in Colombia and the implications of the entanglement of this conservation site with complicated assemblages like oil extraction operations and the regimes of illegal armed groups. Our purpose is to emphasize that the production of knowledge is situated: It is the result of conditions, ethos and politics that have an effect on the descriptive representations produced by scientists and the prescriptive practices implemented by conservation practitioners - and therefore, it affects materially and semiotically the territory. These practices could ultimately blind the ability to understand the difficulties and opportunities for more effective and inclusive conservation. We present some recommendations for the improvement of biodiversity conservation practices by considering these conditions of knowledge production.</p>