By Rebeca Justicia and Rodrigo Ontaneda
For Maquipucuna in the Ecuadorian Andes, ecotourism is a way to recognize the real value of nature – not as something to be extracted, but as something to learn from, connect with, and care for. It is also a way to create income for communities and meaningful experiences for visitors.
When we founded Maquipucuna in 1988, we did so with a simple but powerful idea: nature can only be conserved if it brings real value to the people who live alongside it. At the time, deforestation was moving rapidly toward the cloud forests surrounding Quito in Ecuador's Pichincha Province. Protecting them was urgent.
We began by mobilising funding to acquire our first 3,500 hectares of what would become the Maquipucuna Reserve and step by step grow into the 14,000-acre protected cloud forest reserve it is today. It was the first project of its kind in Ecuador.
At the time, one of the greatest dangers was a law that allowed people to claim land by clearing it. Our neighboring communities were cutting forest to prove “productive use”. It became clear to us that they needed alternatives to deforestation. Ecotourism emerged as a natural solution.
Ecotourism as a tool for conservation
From the beginning, we strongly believed in creating a symbiosis between human well-being and environmental health. Our vision birthed sustainable tourism initiatives such as Yunguilla (winner of the TO DO Award 2024) and Santa Lucía, both supported in their early years by Maquipucuna. These communities have improved their livelihood by shifting from unsustainable slash-and-burn agriculture and livestock practices to ecotourism and other nature-positive micro-enterprises.
Our reserve is significant for its large area of primary forests and parts restored from pastures into thriving secondary forests. Our ecolodge, built with local materials and organic gardens, also serves as a classroom for scientists, students, and nature enthusiasts. Our guests come to observe birds, to enjoy the landscape, to learn, and to feel that they were part of a conservation movement. We also learned from them.
Knowledge supports conservation
The chance to study rare species such as the Andean spectacled bear positioned Maquipucuna as a premiere field site. We have also conducted several flora and fauna surveys, examined animal nutrition, inspected soil composition, and explored different organic farming practices.
What matters most is that this knowledge has led to protection. Former hunters are now nature guides. People who once logged trees now plant them. And those who used to see the forest as an obstacle now see it as a source of pride and possibility.
Successful advocacy
Our policy advocacy work was instrumental in the designation of three protective forests totalling 40,000 hectares as Important Bird Areas (IBA) by the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador and Birdlife International in 2005 and in the creation of the Andean Bear Corridor in 2013 by the Quito Metropolitan District.
In 2018, Maquipucuna became a founding member of the UNESCO-designated Chocó Andino Biosphere Reserve. Our latest projects include a Bear Habitat Interpretation Centre and the proposal to establish the International Organisation of Tropical Studies (OTS) Ecuador.
A biodiversity hotspot
At Maquipucuna, the Andean spectacled bear finds its sanctuary. Dozens of bears return every year usually between August and November to feast on wild avocados. It is one of the few places where Andean bears congregate, offering a wildlife experience unmatched in South America. In addition, Maquipucuna hosts thousands of other species: over 60 mammals (including pumas, kinkajous, and anteaters), butterflies, orchids, more than 400 bird species (including hummingbirds and toucans), endemic amphibians like the frog hyloxalus maquipucuna, and the people who depend on this vibrant forest.
To protect this unique diversity, our vision has expanded in scope and urgency. Less than two percent of Ecuador’s Chocó is still intact. Rampant deforestation, mining, and urban expansion is driving a devastating loss of natural habitat.
Protecting the Andean Bear Corridor
Very recently, we have launched a global campaign for the conservation of Andean Bear Corridor by buying parcels of land to protect the bears' key migration routes. It will require a five-year effort to secure 24 strategic properties and ensure the long-term protection of 4,000 hectares adjacent to the reserve. To start with, we need to urgently raise USD 390,000 to secure an 89-hectare property bordering the main bear congregation site. This land is a critical piece of the corridor linking Maquipucuna to the national park Cotacachi Cayapas, to the north.
The purchase has become urgent because there are already two competing bids on this land. The other buyers are ready to close. One is a national chain of adult entertainment establishments, which would put at risk the ecotourism nature of the area, and the other is a farming operation that relies heavily on chemicals that would directly threaten the Umachaca River and nearby habitat.
Sustaining conservation
To scale ecotourism, community development, and climate-smart conservation through people’s support, we have started to use innovative tools such as biodiversity and carbon credits. Bear tokens allow people around the world to directly invest in conservation efforts.
Each of our visitors, donors, programmes and partnerships contributes to the protection of biodiversity. We must work together – with a shared vision for the future. The forest is still alive. The bears still return each year. And we still have time to do things right.
Rebeca Justicia, PhD, is the Executive President/Lead Scientist of Fundación Maquipucuna, Rodrigo Ontaneda it’s Land Stewardship and Resilience Manager. Fundación Maquipucunais one of the winners of the TO DO Award 2018.
