150 hectares can now be saved

It’s incredible to think that Ecuador supports one tenth of all known plant species, even though it only covers 0.2% of the earth’s surface. And with 1600 species of birds it has twice as many as Australia. Yet each year 300,000 hectares of rainforest are lost in Ecuador, including large areas of the high altitude Cloud Forest. Ecuador’s’ Cloud Forests are a recognised global biodiversity hotspot, home to creatures like jaguars, spectacled bears, ocelots and mountain tapirs. Logging and mining are major threats and in the area of this projects focus unsustainable farming places the Cloud Forests and their wildlife in grave danger.

The good news is that the project strategy has a proven way of making a real difference. The project is undertaken in association with the conservation projects of Rainforest Concern and Rainforest Rescue is helping to extend their work in Ecuador, which commenced in 1994 and reached a highlight with the protection of 12,000 hectares in 2002.

Like the rainforest itself the strategy of the project is diverse. Land purchase is one tool and although necessary in some circumstances, the purchase of rainforest alone is not sufficient in an economically disadvantaged country like Ecuador. Land is an economic resource with which people are intimately involved at a primary economic level. To ensure the Cloud Forest survives, the establishment of economic alternatives is needed to provide local people with relief from their current dependence on unsustainable and destructive agriculture. So in addition to land purchase the project also focuses on developing small businesses for local people in sustainable agriculture, low impact extractive industries and eco-tourism.

Examples are the shade grown coffee that’s sold through a fair trading arrangement – providing low impact agriculture and a high return for effort. Village industries that collect nuts from the Tagua Palm (also known as vegetable ivory) to create crafts and jewelry are another alternative to clearing forest.

Possibly the most effective is the creation of community owned eco-tourism. Farmers and their communities have willingly converted their farms and their forests into eco-tourism reserves in return for the infrastructure that will allow them to host tourists. Land adjacent to the already established eco-tourism reserves is purchased and the local people are employed to manage and protect the Cloud Forests. This along with the eco-tourism enterprises ensures protecting the Cloud Forest becomes part of the highly valued new economy.

The average price of protecting rainforest, including land purchase and programs to provide an alternative economy remains at less than $200 a hectare. You can help save one of the most diverse rainforests on the planet. Simply make a tax-deductible donation or a commitment to our Ongoing Giving program.

Your support will make a huge difference. It’s fulfilling to know that while saving the Cloud Forests we’re also improving the sustainability of the local community and the economy of the country” remarked Kelvin Davies (Executive Officer, Rainforest Rescue).

What did we achieve this year?

The contributions of Rainforest Rescue supporters reached a milestone of $30,000 for the Ecuador “Save a Hectare” Project in the 2005 / 2006 financial year. That’s enough to save 150 hectares of the Cloud Forests. What an amazing achievement!

With Rainforest Concern in the midst of negotiating on the purchase of a property of this size, we expect to announce an exciting outcome in the coming months.

Please help us to save some of the earth’s most important and threatened rainforest by making a tax-deductible donation. Every $200 that’s raised will help to buy and protect a whole hectare.

Visit http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/ecuador.html for more information.