CANANDÉ

OVER 50,000 acres protected
PARTNER: FUNDACIÓN JOCOTOCO, ECUADOR

The Ecuadorian Chocó was entirely forested in 1938, but by 1988, only 50 years later, 95% of the forests in western Ecuador below 3,000 feet (900 m) had already disappeared. There is a consensus that less than 3% of western lowland forests of Ecuador remain, yet deforestation continues.

Our partner Jocotoco formulated a response to these threats in two regions of Ecuador. In the northwest the Canandé Reserve spans over 45,000 acres (18,200 ha). The reserve creates a network of protected areas and a buffer to the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park. This corridor creates a contiguous conservation network spanning more than 1.2 million acres (500,000 ha). It also creates the only area in the western tropical Andes where the entire altitudinal range starting at 200 feet above sea level to more than 16,000 feet (50-4,900 m) in elevation is protected. In the southwest Jocotoco has another reserve, Buenaventura Reserve. This reserve is over 10,000acres (4,400 ha) which protects many species endemic to Ecuador, most notable the El Oro Parakeet.

“This particular conservation opportunity is just about as important as any that has arisen in the past century”


Nigel Collar, Leventis Fellow with BirdLife International

Save the Chocó has been working with and supporting Fundacion Jocotoco's work in the western Andes and the northwest lowlands of Ecuador for the last nine years. With our support and many others, Jocotoco has been able to protect over 40,000 acres in the Canandé region and another 10,000 acres in the Buenaventura Reserve since we collaborated.

With such success comes a great amount of responsibility. Our goal is to support the success Jocotoco has had over the last 20 years in the region. One of the best ways we can help secure the future of this magnificent area is to invest in the infrastructure. By contributing to the day-to-day protection and upkeep of these critical reserves, including ranger salaries, scientific monitoring, and community engagement—Save the Chocó ensures that Jocotoco can maintain effective on-the-ground conservation. This partnership safeguards habitat for countless rare and endemic species while strengthening long-term protection of one of the most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems on Earth. Please donate today.