Introducing Fundacion Jatun Sacha
History
Jatun Sacha is an Ecuadorian non-profit making ecological organization. It was founded in 1985, when the three naturalists (Alejandro Suarez, an orchid grower and botanical illustrator, Michael McColm, an American living in Ecuador, and Dr David Neill, a curator from the Missouri Botanical Gardens on secondment to the National Herbarium in Quito) combined their properties on the Rio Napo in Ecuador's Amazonian province of Oriente to form a reserve of 200 hectares.The foundation has grown since then. The original reserve is now over 1600 hectares and was only the second to have been designated as an International Childrenës Rainforest, and two other reserves have since been formed. Guandera is a small reserve in the Andean highlands, and Bilsa (which Equafor is helping to fund) is in the coastal Mache mountain range.
The foundation also manages the National Herbarium, runs a pilot eco-tourism venture, and oversaw a major reforestation project in the Yasuni National Park.
Index
- The Jatun Sacha Biological Stations
- Other Projects
The Jatun Sacha Biological Stations
Napo
The Napo Biological Station is near Tena, a town in the Oriente
province. It is situated 20km from the base of the Andes. Its
flora is particularly diverse, being transitional between that
of the lower Andes and that of the Amazon basin. The station is
situated between the rivers Napo and Arajuno on land that was
originally designated for colonization. Much of the land to the
north (where there is a road) had already been used for argriculture
when the reserve was formed and much of it was already severely
degraded, but much pristine forest remains to the south.
About 70% of the reserve consists of primary forest, and is used
only for study. The remainder, depleted pastures, is used by the
foundation for reforestation experiments, agroforestry trials,
and various other projects aimed at providing the people of the
region, settler and indigenous alike, with the means of winning
a sustainable living from the land.
The Napo reserve houses a field station; with living facilities
for staff, long term-reseach workers, and visitors; and basic
library and research facilities. Parties of up to 22 residential
visitors can be accomodated.
The Amazon Plant Conservation Centre is the latest facility.
Run along the lines of a botanical garden, it houses a collection
of native medicinal and food plants. It has four main objectives:
- To establish a living collection of the economically important plants of the upper Napo region.
- To conduct research on selected native trees.
- To serve as an educational resource for local schools and colleges.
- To provide technical support to the small landowners of the region.
- For a report on a recent visit to the Jatun Sacha Napo Biological Station
Guandera
The central Andean plateau has been a centre of civilization
from ancient times. Very little of its natural forest survives.
The Guandera forest is one such remnant. Jatun Sacha have recently
purchased a small 80 hectare plot to ensure its survival.
Sited on precipitous slopes at an altitude of 3,500m, the trees
vary from massive Clusias to gnarled dwarfed specimens closer
to the tree line. Epiphytic orchids and bromeliads abound, their
foliage frequently brilliant reds and yellow to protect the plants
from the intense sunlight. Funds for the purchase came, in part,
from another British charity, Flor del Bosque.
- For a report on a recent visit to the Jatun Sacha Guandera Biological Station
Bilsa
The Bilsa Biological Station, of which the Yorkshire Rainforest
Reserve is a part, is situated in the coastal Mache Mountains
of Esmeraldas Province in Northwest Ecuador.
History
The Bilsa Forest is one of the few sizeable remnants of a moist
tropical forest which, only fifty years ago, covered almost the
whole of the Pacific coastal strip of Ecuador. It was a forest
of astounding diversity. Now less than 1% of the forest remains
and soon even that will be gone.
- For a discussion of the climatic causes of Ecuador's diversity click here.
The Bilsa forest is a cloud forest despite its relatively low altitude. This is due to the specific atmospheric features of the region which ensure a persistent cloud base. The trees of the forest are, therefore, festooned with epiphytes (bromeliads, orchids, etc) which make their homes in the canopy (where there is light) and derive their sustenance from the clouds.
The plight of the Bilsa forest was highlighted in 1992 by a survey of the wildlife of the area performed by Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program (RAP Report No.2). The report concluded that the forest was one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth. Its health as an ecosystem was shown by evidence that it supported a population of top predators, Jaguar, Puma, and other smaller cats. The rate of its destruction, however, was such that it would not remain so for more than a few years longer, were something not done to protect it.
In 1993 The Jatun Sacha Foundation took up Conservation International's challenge and established the Bilsa Biological Station.
The Reserve
The initial reserve of 760 ha. was established with the help of donations from organizations like Equafor. Since then, thanks to continued international support and to the weather's restricting loggers' access, the reserve has grown to 2,500 ha.
The Bilsa Reserve not only protects a sizeable expanse of forest, but also the watersheds of the Dogola, Cube and Aguacatal Rivers.
Jatun Sacha has pursued three strategies for the conservation of the remaining Mache forests:
- land purchase
- community involvement
- lobbying
Initial attempts to have the entire forest designated as a National Park have met with mixed success.
Working in association with Fundacion Natura, Jatun Sacha presented studies of the Mache and Chindul Mountains to the National Parks Service (INEFAN). The INEFAN director signed a declaration for the creation of a regional Ecological Reserve, which was approved by the Minister of Agriculture. A change of administration and lobbying by loggers has, however, so far delayed the implementation of the declaration.
Jatun Sacha, meanwhile, has been working with the local communities to develop an outreach programme which harmonizes their needs with those of the environment.
Community Outreach Programme
- community agroforestry
- environmental education
- health
- community management
Biological inventories are on-going. Over 120 tree species in a typical hectare are found within the reserve. More than 300 bird species have been identified, including the endangered Long Wattled Umbrella Bird. Mammals, not usually found on the coastal region are abundant. A three year botanical survey revealed over 1500 species of plant, 20 of which were new to science.
- For the Bilsa plant list Click here..
- For the Bilsa bird list Click here..
The Centre for Conservation of Western Forest Plants was established at Bilsa in 1995, in part with funding from Taylor's of Harrogate. Since then, 25,000 trees of 50 local species have been planted. These were later used in reforestation trials on degraded forest on the reserve.
Trials of fruit and nut trees are also underway, to provide the local communities with an alternative to slash and burn agriculture.
- For a report on a recent visit to the Jatun Sacha Bilsa Biological Station
The National Herbarium
The National Herbarium was founded only about twenty years ago as part of the Museum of Natural History in Quito. In 1992 a new building was constructed as part of the êdebt swap for nature programmeë of the US government.Though owned by the municipality of Quito, the herbarium is managed and staffed by FundaciÛn Jatun Sacha in association with another Ecuadorian non-governmental conservation organization, FundaciÛn Natura. The principle work of the herbarium is to perform an inventory of the countryës plant life, concentrating on the medicinal and food plants of the indigenous peoples and on the flora of ecologically sensitive areas. Much of this work is done in association with the staff of the Jatun Sacha Biological Stations. Since 1992 the herbarium collection has grown from 10,000 to 75,000 plants.
A botanical inventory is a library of the plant wealth of a country, properly organized along taxonomical lines. Like any such reference library, it is the necessary basis for any serious research programme or, for that matter, conservation project.
Fundacion Jatun Sacha believes that only when the flora of Ecuador is recognized for the wealth it is will it and its environment be correctly valued.
Ecotourism
Butterfly Lodge AliÒahui was purchased by Fundacion Jatun Sacha in 1994, with funding from several international charities. Its purpose is to act as a model for eco-tourist development in the region and to generate income for the nearby Napo biological station.Located on a bluff overlooking the Rio Napo, and set in its own tropical garden, the resort lives up to its name (Good View). On clear days, the lush green Amazon rainforest stretches seemingly endlessly to the east, while the towering Andes dominate the western prospect. On exceptionally clear days (admittedly rare) four snow-capped volcanoes can be seen.
The resort offers 26 rooms in airy wooden cabins, each with its own bathroom, flush toilet and shower. The cabins are raised on stilts for natural air conditioning.
- For details and bookings, contact:
Butterfly Lodge
PO Box 17-12-867
Rio Coca 1734 e Isla Ferdinandina
Quito
Ecuador
Reforestation
Reforestation trials are a major feature of the work of the Jatun Sacha Biological Stations. The initial purpose of these was to restore the severely depleted land within the reserves to climax vegetation as quickly as possible. A second, but no less important, purpose is the development of a sustainable form of agroforestry for the local population.As a result of their expertise in the area, in 1992, Fundacion Jatun Sacha was retained to restore the vegetation which was destroyed during the construction of an oil pipeline.
This project was important not only for the ecology of the rainforest but also to help preserve the way of life of the local Waorani tribe.
It is an unfortunate side effect of any major intrusion into the jungle that it draws settlers into previously inaccessible areas and it is these settlers, rather than the original intruders, who do the most damage both to the environment and to the life of the indigenous people. To prevent settlement, reforestation is proceeding on the heels of the construction of the pipeline. The project involves replanting the forest in a 25m wide strip 120 km long and is acting as a pilot project for similar schemes elsewhere.
- Taylors of Harrogate's Trees for Life Appeal
Community Projects
As part of its cultural and educational programme, Jatun Sacha is assisting the municipality of Tena, the provincial capital, to turn a waste piece of land into a municipal park and botanical garden.Plants will be supplied from Jatun Sachaës Amazon Plant Conservation Centre.
In addition to conservation work Fundacion Jatun Sacha runs a number of educational and community programmes. They publish educational material, supply visiting ecology teachers to local schools and hold field trips to the reserve from the schools. They present a weekly ecology programme on the local radio station. Their community work includes a rural health and sanitation programme in which they organize the local population to take advantage of government health schemes.
In response to requests from local women's groups, they are experimenting with various cultural methods for growing small plots of fresh vegetables.