Andes Amazon Fund applauds the creation of the Yanuncay-Zhucay Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area in Azuay, Ecuador. Established on November 9th, 2023, the Yanuncay-Zhucay Municipal Conservation Area protects 66,633 acres (26,965 hectares) of paramos, or high-altitude grasslands, and montane forests. The newly protected area is an investment in the present and future of the…
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Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the expansion of the Titanho Nijaamu La Libertad Indigenous Reserve or Resguardo in the Amazonas department of Colombia. Located along the Amazon River near the intersection of the Colombian, Peruvian, and Brazilian borders, the La Libertad Indigenous Reserve was originally titled in December 2020, with an area of 6,822 acres (2,670…
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On September 22, 2023, Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition (MAATE using the Spanish acronym) officially designated the Machángara-Tomebamba conservation area a ‘Wildlife Refuge’, upgrading it to national protection. Located between the provinces of Azuay and Cañar in southern Ecuador, Machángara Tomebamba protects 61,673 acres of fragile high Andean ecosystems and safeguards 60%…
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On September 20th, 2023, a large crowd gathered to celebrate in the northern Ecuadorian province of Esmeraldas. Surrounded by the joyful energy of marimba music, traditional dances, and colorful clothing, an agreement was signed into law. The cause for celebration: Esmeraldas’ provincial government had officially established the Ecuadorian Chocó Tropical Forest: “Camino del Jaguar” Conservation…
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Andes Amazon Fund applauds the creation of the ‘Laderas Norte Reserva Natural del Quebracho y el Cóndor en la Cordillera de Laderas,’ in Tarija, Bolivia. On August 24, 2023, the city council of Tarija unanimously approved the creation of a Municipal-Rural Protected Area within the Laderas Norte community, realizing a years-long dream of its residents.…
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Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the establishment of Ecuador’s newest Municipal Protected Area System in the volcano-rich northern province of Pichincha. The protected lands encompass 183,552 acres (74,281 ha) ranging from cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes to paramos (high-altitude grasslands) in the eastern Andes. The system is split into two blocks: Tigrillo-Yumbo…
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On July 26th, 2023, the northern Ecuadorian province of Pichincha established a new system of protected areas totaling 298,310 acres (120,722 ha). Split into four blocks throughout diverse, volcano-rich landscapes, the Pichincha Provincial System of Conservation and Sustainable Use Areas (SPACUS-Pichincha using the Spanish acronym) secures the long-term protection of 13 different ecosystems. Biodiversity SPACUS…
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The Andes Amazon Fund team was in Lima two weeks ago represented by Peru Coordinator, Margarita Medina, and Program Officer, Peter Oesterling, for a series of meetings with Peruvian institutions to strengthen ties for continued coordination and support for the conservation of Peru’s diverse ecosystems and protection of its Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and…
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Today, Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the official expansion of the Cuchilla del San Juan regional protected area by 45,994 acres (18,613 ha), bringing the total size to 73,272 acres (29,652 ha). Located in the northern Colombian Andes at the meeting of two of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots (the Tropical Andes and Choco-Tumbes-Magdalena), Cuchilla del…
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Andes Amazon Fund celebrates the creation of the Las Lajas Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area located in the province of El Oro, Ecuador. On April 14, 2023, the municipality of Las Lajas officially established the area, legally protecting 14,223 acres (5,756 hectares) of forests and waterways in Southern Ecuador. The new conservation area helps…
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