Condor Day: An Urgent Call to Save the Guardians of the Andes

Monday, July 14, 2025

When Time Runs Out

In the moors of Antisana, where the wind whispers ancestral secrets, a story of survival is written every day. It is the story of the Andean condor, the majestic guardian of the Ecuadorian skies, which today faces its most difficult battle: extinction.

The Ecuadorian Conservation Foundation Sembrando Esperanza decided to take action. On July 19 and 20, 2025, two unique events will be organized in Antisana National Park to commemorate National Andean Condor Day, which has been celebrated every July 7 since 1996. A wildlife photography workshop and an encounter with nature will allow participants to observe condors, white-tailed deer, and rare birds such as the Neotropic Cormorant.

But these events have a deeper purpose than simple observation. Each registration, each participant, would contribute to something bigger: the construction of the Environmental Education Center in Tambo Cóndor, a space where future generations would learn about the importance of protecting these emblematic species.

The Project That Can Change the Future

The Guardians of the Andes Project was born out of an urgent need. With only 150 condors registered in the last national census in 2018, Ecuador faces a silent crisis. The foundation, in collaboration with Tambo Cóndor, launched a crowdfunding campaign to create an Environmental Education Center and a Self-Guided Ecological Trail.

This center would not just be a building; it would be a bridge between humanity and nature. A place where children, youth, and adults will discover why the condor and the spectacled bear are umbrella species—by protecting them and their habitat, many other species and entire ecosystems are protected.

The Urgency of Acting Now

The Andean páramos are not only home to the condor; they are Quito's source of water. These fragile ecosystems are home to the spectacled bear, another critically endangered species, which acts as a seed disperser and forest regenerator. Both species face similar threats: habitat loss, poisoning, and conflicts with local communities.

The reality is stark: between 2018 and 2019, 20 condors died from poisoning, equivalent to 13% of the total population. If this trend continues, future generations will only know the condor from photographs.

The events of Condor Month represent more than a celebration; they are an act of resistance against extinction. Each participant will become a guardian, each photograph taken in the workshop will be a testimony to life, each sighting during the tour will be a promise for the future. The funds raised will not only build an educational center, but will also sow hope in the hearts of those who still believe it is possible to save the last guardians of the Andes.