Collaborating with the Fundación Cordillera Tropical and several other Ecuadorian organizations, Round River is working to protect the cloud forests and high mountain grasslands of the Nudo del Azuay in southeastern Ecuador. Spanning over 150,000 ha (370,000 acres) and including six watersheds that flow into the Amazon Basin, the Nudo del Azuay is a globally critical biodiversity hotspot on the eastern front of the Andes Mountains. The largely intact native habitats of the Nudo del Azuay are threatened by ongoing road construction, land clearing, and resource extraction. Inhabited by such endangered species as the Andean bear, mountain tapir, puma, red-faced parrot, golden-plumed Parakeet, Andean condor and crescent-faced antpitta, the region also has a long history of human presence containing many pre-Columbian roads, terraces, and ceremonial sites.
Working with local communities, landowners, government authorities, and various other stakeholders the Nudo del Azuay Wildlands Conservation Project includes producing a biological and socioeconomic land use plan that identifies core conservation areas, resource use zones, and ecological linkages within and surrounding the region. A centerpiece of the project is the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program focused on the important hydrological and biodiversity values of the region. The PES program will provide financial incentives to landowners and communities to preserve and restore native forest habitats. Partnered with the PES program are a range of community-based conservation initiatives aimed at providing training in appropriate land use practices and creating alternative income sources. At the heart of all of our activities, is our ultimate goal to enable local residents to manage and monitor the land use and conservation of the Nudo del Azuay.
