Fundación para la Conservación de los Andes Tropicales (FCAT) is a grassroots Ecuadorian NGO dedicated to empowering local communities to restore vanishing forests and conserve endangered species.
The Chocó rainforests of northwestern Ecuador are incredibly biodiverse, but less than 5% remain due to deforestation. The long-wattled umbrellabird, a local flagship species, is endangered due to habitat loss. Male umbrellabirds gather in display sites called leks, attracting naturalists from across the world. FCAT manages a 550 ha reserve that serves as a unique hub for local communities, outdoor enthusiasts, researchers, and students to engage with the exceptional nature it protects. FCAT recently purchased 42 ha of land that had an active umbrellabird lek until it was deforested 2-3 years ago. Umbrellabirds remain in the area but have not yet reunited to form a viable lek. The project aims to restore this area to native rainforest, benefitting umbrellabirds and other endangered species. 5,000 seedlings will be planted using an innovative restoration technique known as ‘applied nucleation’ (planting interspersed islands of trees), and local biologists will scientifically monitor effectiveness. FCAT will host workshops to build capacity among local residents as natural history guides to host visitors at the reserve.
The Update
Thanks to support from EOCA, from 2022 to 2024, FCAT successfully restored 61 hectares and 17.4 km of trails in the Ecuadorian Chocó biodiversity hotspot, achieving high survival rates. This restoration utilized innovative methods – nucleation restoration – developed by international experts in restoration and ecology, facilitating natural plant succession with small plantings that expand through seed-dispersing animals. In total, 7825 trees of 24 native species were germinated and then planted out over 2 years. 85% survival rate was achieved for the tree planting after 1 year, and 96% for the second year of planting.
Despite ongoing deforestation threats, FCAT’s reserve expansion has improved habitat connectivity for endangered species. Connectivity monitoring, which includes drone flights and fauna surveys, has documented 15 amphibian species, including critically endangered ones, and 143 bird species, including several endangered and migratory birds, and the record of the endangered Bloomberg Boa. Interestingly, their surveys identified 3 species previously thought to be endemic to dry or semi-dry forests of the Equatorial Pacific, perhaps indicating that the deforestation of the Ecuadorian Chocó is leading to a drastic environmental changes such that the area is beginning to resemble the drier forest areas of the the South, rather than rainforest. However, their surveys also showed an increase in the abundance of species more closely associated with rainforest, and a decrease in species associated with pastures, suggesting that the restoration efforts are being effective and that displaced species are returning to their natural ecosystems despite these ecosystems are facing a desertification process.
One of FCAT’s major community engagement project’s is the “Next Generation Club,” which involves high school students, particularly women, in 30 workshops to develop a skilled conservation workforce. In January 2024, a second cohort began with 25 new members, including 22 women, learning through an improved curriculum that combines art and science to ensure the sustainability of conservation efforts in the community.
Male Umbrellabird. Image: Maxime Aliaga
Ariel photo of restoration site. Image: Luke Cooper
Photo credit: Jordan Cruz
