Río Canandé protects a fragment of the highly biodiverse Choco habitat. World Land Trust (WLT) has funded land purchase to extend the reserve, and also provides support through WLT's Carbon Balanced programme and WLT's Keepers of the Wild programme.
Río Canandé is a lowland rainforest reserve in the north west of Ecuador, which protects an endemic rich habitat, the Choco. This habitat is now highly fragmented by intensive agriculture (such as oil palm plantations) and timber extraction. Very little is under protection, and the Canandé reserve is located close to the southern boundary of what remains.
This reserve is continuing to be expanded and a visitor lodge has been constructed, by adapting an existing dwelling on the property. It is hoped that eventually a protected corridor will be formed to join the Chachi indigenous peoples land about 10km to the north.
Wildlife at Río Canandé
Río Canandé is home to Jaguar, Howler, Spider and Capuchin Monkey, and Baird’s Tapir. A variety of frog and reptile species are also found on the reserve, 38 of which were photographed by a team from the Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito in August 2004.
There are about 30 near threatened or restricted range species of birds at Río Canandé, and the following globally threatened bird species:
- Plumbeous Forest-falcon (Micrastur plumbeus)
- Great-green Macaw (Ara ambiguus)
- Ochraceous Attila (Attila torridus)
- Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger)
- Scarlet-breasted Dacnis (Dacnis berlepschi)
- Grey-backed Hawk (Leucopternis occidentalis)
Río Canandé is one of WLT's Carbon Balanced Programme sites. Visit Carbon Balanced to find out more about this programme.
Fundación Jocotoco reserves:
More Information on the Tropical Forest Project
To learn more about the Ecuador project visit the main project page: Help Save the Rainforests.