Tayra Natural Reserve
Thanks to the collaboration of a group of donors the Foundation created a reserve of a little more than 70 hectares in Mashpi, northwest of Pichincha, we call it TAYRA NATURAL RESERVE, in honor of the tayra (Eira barbara), a beautiful mammal present in the reserve and that will be our symbol.
As a Foundation we have planted more than 20,000 trees, with a focus on habitat restoration, however, the constitution of a reserve allows us to achieve our mission through a new path, protecting pristine forests that harbor extraordinary biodiversity.
We will remain faithful to our essence, that is, to promote our actions by inserting ourselves in the local communities. We do not want the constitution of this reserve to be seen by the communities as something negative, since it will not be possible to grow crops, extract timber, or allow animals to graze.
That is why we want this reserve, and others that have been established in the area, to be seen by the community as an opportunity for research and ecotourism that will allow them new sources of income in a sustainable way.
Tayra Reserve is part of the Choco Andino Biosphere Reserve
The reserve is located within a larger area, the CHOCO ANDINO BIOSPHERE RESERVE, declared by UNESCO in 2018, is home to a unique biological richness in the world, it still preserves pristine forests, and it is estimated that within it there are 700 species of birds, 140 species of amphibians and 40 species of reptiles and at least 3200 species of plants.
It extends from 360m to 4. 480 meters above sea level, the landscapes go from moorland on the Pichincha volcano to dry and shrubby vegetation in the valley of the Guayllabamba River and even montane forests of myrtles, cedars and matapalos in the mountain foothills, is the habitat of 100 species of mammals, among which are the puma, four species of deer, the spectacled bear and the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina), a new species to science, described in 2013.
Working with the community
In our first meetings with members of the local community, we received the concern that one of the basic skills that the locals want to have to begin to venture into the world of ecotourism, which will generate new opportunities for environmentally friendly income, is to have basic knowledge of the English language, with this tool they can aspire, for example, to be qualified guides, establish bird watching areas and provide accommodation and food to visitors from abroad.
We have already taken the first step, working together with other stakeholders in the area, we have joined forces to establish the conditions of accommodation and food to receive a first volunteer, Chauncey Willburn, whose native language is English, Chauncey will live in Mashpi for 2 months, from May 2024 to teach English classes to members of the community, in fact, there are already 11 registered, welcome Chauncey! This is the first step, we aspire to be very active with the local community to contribute our grain of sand, and why not, generate opportunities for its members.
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