Background

The El Pahuma Orchid Reserve is a privately owned forest located in the province of Pichincha, Ecuador, about one hour by road from Quito.  The reserve protects over 600 hectares (over 1500 acres) of tropical montane forest lying between 1600 meters (5300 feet) and 2600 meters (8600 feet) of elevation on the western slope of the Andes. The reserve is protected by a conservation easement held between Ceiba and the Ecuadorian landowner. The easement is the second ever to be implemented in South America. Over 200 species of orchids have been identified within the reserve, which lies in a region with some of the highest rates of plant endemism in the world. reserve's lush mountain forests also are home to wildlife such as the Spectacled Bear and Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, species that are increasingly threatened by habitat destruction and human population growth. It is predicted that El Pahuma is home to more than 350 species of birds, possibly including several IUCN listed endangered or vulnerable species.  A month-long preliminary survey and later additions has produced a bird list of more than 150 species.  The reserve provides suitable habitat for the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), which was recently confirmed to exist in the reserve, by direct sighting and discovery of a fecal sample on the property.  El Pahuma protects over 20 micro-watersheds that feed the Guayllabamba River, a major source of drinking water.  The reserve also contains an important archaeological feature, the Sendero de Los Yumbos, one of the principal trails used by indigenous people for trade between the coast and the Andes before the arrival of the Spanish.

The El Pahuma Orchid Reserve is owned by an Ecuadorian family who is searching for a viable economic alternative to destructive activities such as logging or cattle raising.  They recognize the ecological and cultural importance of their land and wish to find help making preservation of their forest a realistic option.  Representatives from the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation (Ceiba) visited the site in 1997 and were quickly convinced of its conservation value.  We believe that revenue from tourism, researchers and student groups can provide sufficient economic support for the landowner's family without damaging their forests.  In the process, the reserve will make a valuable contribution to the preservation of the region's biological diversity, and serve as a model conservation project which may be emulated in other locations.  Through assistance with infrastructure development, technical training and management support, the reserve now enjoys an average of more than 400 visitors per month and sustainably generates a sufficient income for the landowner and his family. The reserve has become a model conservation project for other landowners in the region.

II. Project Goals 

The core goals of the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve project are: 

1) to identify the species found within the reserve and evaluate their status,  

2) to conserve the biological and cultural resources in the reserve, with an emphasis on the protection of native orchids,  

3) to demonstrate that small-scale conservation projects can generate sustainable income for local people,  

4) to increase public awareness of orchids and their habitat through education and tourism, and  

5) to involve the local community in conservation of their natural heritage through stewardship, technical training and employment opportunities.  

Avian and botanical  inventories have been conducted, and a the orchid botanical garden has been installed. Legal protection of the reserve has been secured via implementation of a conservation easement and management plan that provides directives for protecting the reserve's flora and fauna and includes technical training for, and ongoing involvement of local community members. 

III. Project Implementation

The El Pahuma Orchid Reserve project officially began in May 1999.  By 2006 the reserve had become financially self-sufficient and completely locally-managed.  Initial project activities focused on documenting the biological richness of the reserve, establishing basic infrastructure to meet the needs of visitors, and developing an orchid conservation and public education program centered around the Orchid Botanical Garden.  Later phases of the project focused on providing a variety of training opportunities to the landowner's family and reserve staff, such as naturalist guide and park guard training programs, instruction in English, use of computers, accounting practices, and an apprentice-style approach to teaching the fundamentals of operating a tourism destination.  Ceiba further aids the reserve by regularly bringing field courses to explore the cloud forest, and by encouraging scientists to undertake studies at the reserve.  We continue to provide training to the reseve's staff and management, upon their request of specific programs.  To date, over 10,000 visitors have toured the trails of El Pahuma, learning about the ecology of the montane and cloud forest, and providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of income to the reserve's owners and staff.

IV. Benefits to Conservation and Local People 

The El Pahuma Orchid Reserve directly benefits the conservation of many orchids and other species via protection of habitat. Increasingly, orchids with ornamental value are wantonly extracted from forests for display or sale.   The conservation benefits of El Pahuma extend to other species, including humans, that rely on montane forests for survival. Rapid deforestation in northwestern Ecuador is linked to critical losses of plant and animal species, and the sedimentation of rivers. El Pahuma's forested watersheds will provide habitat for many rare and endemic species, while helping protect water quality downstream. Biological surveys will contribute much-needed data on the distribution and status of threatened species in the region. 

El Pahuma is located between the Maquipucuna forest reserve to the north and the Mindo-Nambillo reserve to the south, and thereby protects a portion of a potential biological corridor between the two larger reserves. Support for El Pahuma can be used to leverage future commitments from neighboring landowners to protect their forests in order to complete a continuous corridor bridging the two larger forests.  Such a connection is essential to the conservation of rare, mobile species such as the Spectacled Bear, Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger), and Plate-billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena laminirostris). 

Members of the community have directly benefitted from the reserve through employment during the construction of reserve facilities and their participation as guides, managers, and gardeners.  Moreover, local involvement will help spread conservation awareness in the community, and encourage people to value the biological resources that surround them. El Pahuma is beginning to provide the owners of the reserve with a sustainable income that is an ecologically sound alternative to logging or converting their land to pasture.   The El Pahuma Orchid Reserve also serves as a model conservation and resource management project that may be emulated in other communities. 

The natural beauty of the forest, the ancient Yumbo trail, and the abundance of spectacular birds and mammals will attract visitors to El Pahuma for reasons beyond the opportunity to view orchids.  Visitors will help support the reserve's conservation, education and research programs and gain in return an awareness of the diversity of orchids and the value of protecting their habitats.  Once revealed in detail, the splendor of a montane forest's diversity of plants and animals is undeniable; visitors to El Pahuma will leave bearing a unique appreciation of the worth of a forest left standing.  Click here for information on visiting the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve.