Reserve in Ecuador officially recognised as Wildlife Refuge

The Río Machay Reserve in Ecuador, created with support from ERF partner World Land Trust (WLT), has been officially declared a Wildlife Refuge. Granted by Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition, this designation now incorporates Río Machay into the country’s National System of Protected Areas. This means the reserve has formal legal protection, government oversight, and access to funding and management support to safeguard its ecosystems and wildlife over the long term.

Spanning 1,160 hectares in the upper Pastaza River basin, Río Machay protects a rich variety of habitats, from cloud-draped forests to expansive páramo grasslands. These ecosystems shelter at least 35 threatened species, including the iconic Spectacled Bear and the Endangered Black-and-chestnut Eagle.

The reserve is also home to newly discovered species, suggesting a wider hidden diversity being hosted in the forests. Among these is Seth Macfarlane’s Torrent Frog, described in 2022 from just four individuals found on a single ridgeline within Río Machay.

The reserve’s forests also regulate the climate, purify air, and provide clean water for the surrounding communities. But these ecosystems remain fragile, threatened by deforestation, habitat loss, and the impacts of climate change. Recognising Río Machay as a Wildlife Refuge underscores its vital role in safeguarding biodiversity and is a decisive step towards its long-term conservation.

Fundación EcoMinga, one of WLT’s partners, called the declaration “a major milestone which will help connect the Llanganates and Sangay National Parks”. They also highlighted the role of WLT, noting that “this achievement was made possible thanks to the generous support of WLT, which provided the great majority of the funding for land purchases”. In 2015, WLT launched a Forests in the Sky Appeal to raise funds for the expansion of the Río Machay Reserve, spearheading the land purchases for the reserve.