Latin America & the Caribbean
Saving the Last of the Chocó Forest of Ecuador , Colombia and Panama
Spanning nearly 7.4 million acres , Ecuador ' s Chocó region is bounded by the Andes to the east and the Pacific to the west . Here , varying elevations — from sea level to 16,000 feet — create both tropical moist and dry forests and harbor a vast diversity of wildlife . Under the misty canopy , this old-growth forest is home to 270 species of mammals , including the Endangered Brown-headed Spider Monkey . The Chocó Endemic Bird Area supports the largest number of restricted-range birds of any Endemic Bird Area in the Americas , with over 50 endemic species , including the Endangered Colorful Puffleg and the Endangered Banded Ground-cuckoo .
Decades of deforestation for logging and agricultural expansion — primarily for oil palm plantations — combined with cattle ranching , mining and oil concessions , have destroyed 98 % of this once lush forest . In fact , Ecuador has experienced the highest deforestation rate of any country for its size in the Western Hemisphere and that rate continues to rise .
Over the years , Rainforest Trust has worked with many partners in Ecuador , Colombia and Panama to protect the vulnerable and diverse Choco-Darien ecosystem . Together we have protected a total of 50,946 acres that are rich in threatened species and store 10,497,919 metric tons of CO 2 equivalents .
Protected Sites
Protection in Progress
The Rio Canandé Reserve lies at the heart of this effort . In 2021 , Rainforest Trust and our longtime Ecuadorian partner , Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco purchased 8,328 strategic acres to nearly double the size of the reserve to 16,859 acres . Efforts to purchase additional parcels continue towards a long-term goal of connecting the reserve to the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park to the east .
In addition to safeguarding threatened mammals , this newly protected area of the Canandé Reserve is home to 14 globally threatened amphibians and two Critically Endangered magnolia species , Magnolia canandeana and Magnolia dixonii .
Over the years , Rainforest Trust has protected more than 18 million acres in Latin America & the Caribbean , with 3.9 million acres secured in 2021 alone . Our urgent conservation work continues across the region to protect vital habitat and species against the imminent threats and pressing challenges of our times .
Banded Ground-cuckoo | Agami Photo Agency - Shutterstock ©
8 Rainforest Trust 2021 Annual Report