The Loja Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area in the Ecuadorian Andes, originally declared in late 2020 with AAF support, was expanded on June 14, 2022 to include an additional 109,279 acres, bringing the area’s total to 182,980 acres. Located on the southeastern slopes of the Andes, the Loja Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area encompasses…
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Andes Amazon Fund (AAF) proudly announces the creation of the Quilanga Municipal Conservation Area in Loja, Ecuador. Declared on May 6, 2022, the area spans 26,273 acres (10,623 hectares) of native forest and paramos with an altitudinal range of 6,560 – 8,860 feet above sea level. Its creation is the result of two years of…
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This past year, Andes Amazon Fund (AAF) and our partner organizations worked tirelessly to protect wilderness areas and Indigenous lands. In spite of the challenges due to the pandemic, we achieved some remarkable successes. More than 5.8 million acres (2.4 million hectares) received new legal protection with AAF support in 2021, bringing the total area…
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Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the establishment of the Espíndola and Catamayo Municipal Conservation Areas in the province of Loja, Ecuador. These areas protect native forests and endemic species that add to an ecological corridor that includes Podocarpus and Yacuri National Parks. As a result, these connected ecosystems can thrive and build resilience for local communities…
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On November 26, the government of Ecuador announced the establishment of the Puerto Cabuyal-Punta San Clemente Marine Protected Area. The new area covers an area of 322,292 acres (130,427 ha) that extend from Punta Ballena in Jama to Punta San Clemente in the Sucre canton. The reserve will contribute to the conservation of several iconic…
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New MAAP report findings in the Western Amazon reveal protected areas had the lowest primary forest loss rate, closely followed by Indigenous territories, meaning the establishment and effective management of protected areas & Indigenous territories works to prevent deforestation. For full report, please click below.
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The El Guabo Municipal Conservation Area, established on June 15, protects 31,812 acres of cloud and montane forests, paramo grasslands, and wetlands in the province of El Oro. El Guabo is home to three recently described species of terrestrial frogs discovered in 2016 thanks to an investigation by the National Institute of Biodiversity – Ecuador. Other species…
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The Santiago de Méndez Municipal Conservation Area, created on March 9, protects 34,051 acres of montane forests and páramo grasslands in Morona Santiago, Ecuador. It conserves ecosystems and wildlife in the Sangay-Podocarpus Connectivity Corridor and safeguards water sources for more than 15,000 people living in nearby communities. Its abundant fauna includes 47 species of mammals, 152…
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This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged people across the world, and the countries sharing the Amazon were among the most impacted. Indigenous peoples experienced higher mortality rates than in urban areas. And despite the illusion that stay-at-home orders would allow nature a chance to heal, the opposite occurred in many parts of the basin,…
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Several of the regions where Andes Amazon Fund works are among those most affected by COVID-19 in Latin America. As governments struggle to get adequate care to those most in need across all corners of the Amazon, several of our grantees are among those organizations most in touch with local needs. Considering this, Andes Amazon…
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