Urcu Yaku Kamak (“Guardians of Mountain Water”) Conservation Area protects Páramo Wetlands in Ecuador’s Central Andes

By Andes Amazon Fund | February 6, 2025

In Ecuador’s Central Andes, where páramo wetlands flourish under the watchful gaze of Andean condors and rivers carve through mountains, a group of communities and local leaders, led by Chimborazo’s provincial government, decided to take conservation action. On November 21, 2024, Chimborazo’s provincial government established the Urcu Yaku Kamak Provincial Conservation and Sustainable Use Area spanning 52,681 acres (21,319 hectares) of biodiverse high altitude páramo wetlands and Andean forests.

New Expansion doubles area of the Río Negro Sopladora – Tinajillas Río Gualaceño National Park in southern Ecuador

By Judah Marsden | January 28, 2025

Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the latest expansion of the Río Negro Sopladora – Tinajillas Río Gualaceño National Park by 79,362 acres (32,117 hectares) on November 13, 2024. The National Park will now safeguard over 162,741 acres (65,859 hectares) of fragile montane ecosystems in the province of Morona Santiago, Ecuador, including páramos, mountain forests and rivers along Ecuador’s southeastern Andes and upper Amazon rainforest.

Junín Conservation Area Protects Tropical Forests Along Ecuador’s Pacific Coast

By Andes Amazon Fund | January 27, 2025

Junín is home to remarkable biodiversity, including the vulnerable black-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps) and the Esmeraldas woodstar (Chaetocercus berlepschi), a rare, tropical hummingbird found only in this region. On December 16, 2024, the Junín Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area was officially established, representing a significant milestone in protecting the ecosystems and water resources of the Manabí Province of Ecuador.

Five new municipal conservation areas spanning over half a million acres protect sensitive ecosystems in southern Ecuador’s Manabí province

By Andes Amazon Fund | December 10, 2024

We are thrilled to announce the creation of five new municipal conservation areas in the coastal province of Manabí, Ecuador spanning a combined total of 596,589 acres (241,431 hectares).

Balsas Municipal Conservation Area safeguards water sources and fragile ecosystems in El Oro, Ecuador

By Andes Amazon Fund | December 4, 2024

The Balsas municipal conservation area protects critical areas of evergreen forest, both in the piedmont and seasonal tropical forest zones of the Catamayo-Alamor ecosystem, a habitat for species such as the yellow-rumped toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus) and the screaming momot (Momotus subrufescens).

Expansion of Atahualpa municipal conservation area in El Oro, Ecuador protects forests and water sources

By Andes Amazon Fund | December 4, 2024

The Atahualpa municipal conservation and sustainable use area has been expanded, protecting 28,369 acres (11,480 hectares) of evergreen montane forest, seasonal forest, and páramos. This expansion helps guarantee the protection of the Atahualpa canton’s water sources and biodiversity.

New Pueblo Kichwa de Rukullakta (PKR) Provincial Conservation Area in Ecuador

By Andes Amazon Fund | July 10, 2024

Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the creation of the Pueblo Kichwa de Rukullakta (PKR) Provincial Conservation and Sustainable Use Area, which encompasses 103,509 acres (41,889 ha) in the Ecuadorian province of…

Bolivar Provincial Conservation Area Safeguards Water from Ecuador’s Highest Glacier

By Andes Amazon Fund | July 10, 2024

Andes Amazon Fund applauds the creation of a new conservation area in Ecuador’s Bolivar province. Spanning 105,978 acres (42,888 ha), the provincial conservation and sustainable use area safeguards a continuous…

New Conservation Area Along Eastern Slope of the Ecuadorian Andes Protects Threatened Montane Ecosystems

By Andes Amazon Fund | January 10, 2024

On December 14th, 2023, the local government of Sucúa, Ecuador held a vote to establish the Sucúa Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area. In a victory for the region, the…

New Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area Protects Some of Ecuador’s most Biodiverse Ecosystems

By Andes Amazon Fund | December 12, 2023

Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the establishment of the San José de Payamino Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area, created in June of 2023. The new conservation area is located in…