Ecominga:New
foundation to save threatened forests:
A group of Ecuadorian and international scientists and conservationists,
including me, has created the Ecominga Foundation to protect threatened
forests containing endangered plants and animals. We will seek international
and local funding to buy strategic forests, work with local communities,
and raise awareness about the importance of these forests. Please help
us! See www.ecominga.net
Biogeography
of the Pastaza Watershed (Eastern Andes of Central Ecuador):
This online book treats the amazingly rich and highly endemic flora of the
Pastaza watershed and surrounding area. More plant species are endemic to
this small valley than to all of the Galapagos Islands, and the area is
a high conservation priority for our Ecominga
Foundation. This book concentrates on orchids, and includes
species accounts for some of the ninety orchid species endemic to the watershed.
It also includes species accounts for some of the many other plants endemic
to the watershed. The distributions of the endemic orchids of the area help
pinpoint the most important forests for conservation.
Orchids
of the Jocotoco Foundation Reserves:
The Jocotoco Foundation was formed to buy and manage reserves for critically
endangered Ecuadorian birds. The reserves coincidentally contain many threatened
and endangered plant species, especially orchids. The Foundation has asked
me to assess the conservation value of their reserves for orchids, and this
article reports the ongoing results of those investigations.
Conservation
Partners: Here I list some foundations and businesses
which I feel are doing important conservation work in Ecuador. The list
is new so if I have not included a worthy foundation, please write me!