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IMPACT PROMISE
Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact
Partner Snapshot
Partner Name
Location:
Lowland Ecuadorian Chocó, Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Actions:
- Wildlife monitoring with camera traps and surveys of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
- Jaguar coexistence; building community trust and promoting safe, respectful practices.
- Environmental education through workshops, school gardens, and hands-on learning.
- Community support in reforestation, pollinator gardens, meliponiculture, and Chachi community life-planning.
- Ongoing training to strengthen educational, technical, and research skills.
Appeal Category:
- Capacity Building and Training
- Community Support and Development
- Education
- Endangered Species
- Protected Area Management
- Wildlife Conservation
Key Species:
- Brown headed spider monkey
- Jaguar
- Giant macaw
- Harpy eagle
Challenges And Threats:
- Logging
- Agricultural expansion
- Hunting
- Human-wildlife conflict
The Challenge
Ecuador’s current conservation reality is shifting dangerously. The merger of the Environment Ministry with the Energy and Mines Ministry signals a move toward extractive priorities, while illegal mining, expanding agriculture, timber extraction and organized crime continue to drive some of the country’s highest deforestation rates—especially in Esmeraldas, where the Tesoro Escondido Reserve is located.
Local communities remain vulnerable, facing limited access to basic services and growing threats to their land rights. New national regulations restrict NGO action and increase costs, placing both forests and the Rights of Nature at risk. Meanwhile, funding for local conservation jobs is shrinking. We are running out of time to protect the forest and the people who defend it.
Urgent Solutions
Tesoro Escondido responds by strengthening community-led conservation through its team of local parabiologists—young leaders and agents of change who monitor wildlife, support jaguar coexistence, teach environmental education, restore forests, protect native bees, and support Chachi communities in participatory planning.
In 2026, we aim to reinforce our institutional capacity: improving financial stability, governance, monitoring systems, community resilience, and youth leadership. Conservation must remain rooted in local knowledge, science, and strong communities—especially in a rapidly changing landscape.
Why Your Donation Matters
Your support directly funds the people who protect the forest every day. Parabiologists are essential—wildlife monitors, educators, community leaders, agents of change, role models, and the link between science and territory. Yet resources for local salaries are increasingly scarce.
Your donation keeps monitoring active, strengthens community planning, supports women and youth, and ensures that conservation remains led by those who call this forest home. Supporting Tesoro Escondido means standing with the forest—and with its guardians.