The Tropical Andes are one of the world’s most biodiverse and most Endangered ecosystems. They span more than half a million square miles, connecting the paramo in the Andes mountains down to the foothills of the Amazon rainforest with an altitudinal range of over 9,000 ft. (from 14,000 down to 5,000 ft). The Tropical Andes are home to 14% of all the bird species in the world, more than 800 species of amphibians, and one sixth of all plant life on earth.
This is a region teeming with life – much of it still to be discovered by science, much of it found nowhere else, all of it at risk of being lost forever. Everyday in Ecuador approximately 305 acres (123 ha), about 230 football fields, are lost to deforestation from expanding agriculture, unsustainable logging, and mining.
Fundación Jocotoco is an Ecuadorian nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the Tropical Andes by creating and managing protected reserves in the most ecologically critical regions of Ecuador. Jocotoco’s work starts with strategicpurchases of land, much of it old growth forest that is rapidly vanishing. Then teams of local park rangers and species experts are hired and trained to maintain reserves thatprotect biodiversity, host global scientific research teams, and work with surrounding communities to open new opportunities for social entrepreneurship.
Jocotoco has a time-sensative opportunity to add 3,000 acres (1,214 ha) to its Tapichalaca Reserve. The reserve connects two national parks in southern Ecuador which creates a continuous protected area of more than 618,000 acres (250,095 ha). When complete the expansion will result in a protected area nearly the size of Yosemite Park!
Connecting these parks from the high Andes altitude to the Amazonian lowlands is vital to protecting biodiversity and ensures habitats are large enough for healthy populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, and plants. It also preserves water sources for local communities.
All donations are tax deductible in the United States. Invest in the Tropical Andes, where your donation will have a disproportionate impact!
