Fundacion Jocotoco

Fundación Jocotoco was established in 1998 to protect globally threatened bird species of the Ecuadorian Andes. Since then, they have successfully created fifteen reserves, restored forests and wetlands, and achieved the establishment of a 60,000 km² marine reserve.

Ecuador’s cloud and rainforest ecosystems are among the most biodiverse yet threatened on Earth. In Buenaventura, where the Tumbes and Chocó ecoregions meet, high endemism and numerous globally threatened species face growing pressures from mining and habitat loss. Likewise, the Ecuadorian Chocó, home to the Canandé Reserve, has lost 98% of its rainforest and shelters rare species like the Harpy Eagle and the Critically Endangered Brown-headed Spider Monkey. Protecting these last remaining habitats is vital to preserving their unique biodiversity.

The ERF grant is supporting two strategic expansions: adding 450 hectares to the Buenaventura Reserve to connect and safeguard key cloud forest areas, and acquiring 206 hectares across three properties to enlarge the Canandé Reserve. Together, these projects will strengthen habitat connectivity, reduce mining threats, and advance the wider Chocó Initiative’s goal of protecting 500,000 hectares of Ecuador’s most important forests.