Conservation Value:

The humid forests of the Chocó Biogeographical Region of northwestern Ecuador support exceptional biodiversity, much of which is endemic to the region. The 120,000-ha Mache-Chindul Reserve (MCR) occupies a unique transitionary zone between the Chocó and the drier Tumbesian zone to the South. MCR is a BirdLife International Important Bird Area (IBA), is in the process of becoming a Key Biodiversity Area, and contains a RAMSAR designated wetland. The 592-ha reserve of FCAT (Fundación para la Conservación le los Andes Tropicales) lies along the boundary of the MCR and is one of the largest continuous forest reserves in the region.  It supports many Neotropical migratory bird species and threatened species including the Critically Endangered Ecuadorian white-fronted capuchin (Cebus aequatorialis), Endangered banded ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus radiolosus), Endangered mache glassfrog (Cochranella mache), Endangered Blomberg’s tree boa (Corallus blombergi), and Vulnerable long-wattled umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger).

Threats:

Over 96% of the Ecuadorian Chocó’s primary forests are lost and what remains is not well protected. A study found that 10% of the forest within the boundaries of the Mache-Chindul Reserve (MCR) was lost from 2000-2008 and that MCR is the worst performing reserve in the Ecuadorian protected area system. From 1990 to 2008, this region had the highest deforestation rates and among the lowest rates of forest regeneration in Ecuador. This habitat loss is driven by several thousand people with limited economic opportunities who live within the MCR borders, leading to deforestation and species loss in a region where over 90% of local residents live in poverty. As a result, globally threatened and endemic species in the area are declining.

Actions & Results:

In 2021 and 2022, with support from ICFC, FCAT purchased lands to consolidate its reserve. The reserve has enabled FCAT to generate a robust and predictable income stream for its long-term management. In 2022, with support from ICFC, FCAT launched ‘The Next Generation Club' to equip local youth with skills in environmental conservation and research through structured training and mentoring. In 2023, FCAT continued with the delivery of a comprehensive educational curriculum and experience for students in local communities adjacent to the FCAT Reserve. Since the beginning of the project, a total of 31 workshops have been conducted with experts on various subjects such as ecology, biology, botany, herpetology, ornithology, and wildlife photography, etc. Club members have also engaged in cultural exchanges with visiting students from other countries and have received mentorship from local scientists. Furthermore, we're happy to report that on November 11 of 2023, a graduation ceremony was held at the FCAT Reserve Biological Station for the first cohort of the Next Generation Club. Nine students—who successfully completed at least 80% of the curriculum activities—were awarded certificates from FCAT and ICFC in an emotional ceremony attended by their families and the entire FCAT personnel. Congratulations to these nine young leaders who are actively promoting the conservation of their environment in/and around the MCR!