Dracula reserve. Photo by Callie Broaddus.
Deep in the remote cloud forests of Carchi, Ecuador, the Drácula nature reserve is nestled between the peaks of the Andes. Here, you can find an incredible diversity of rare orchids, some that have not even been discovered yet. Andean bears, with their spectacle-like markings, roam alongside Brown-headed spider monkeys, making their homes among the trees. This place is home to astounding plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, yet we are losing it day by day. We need your help to protect it.
We are delighted to announce that Women for Conservation will be partnering with Fundación EcoMinga to construct a virtual classroom for their Drácula reserve: a space for people to connect with one another, learn, and gain skills to support their livelihoods in rural Ecuador — and an essential resource for protecting the reserve’s threatened wildlife.
Fundación EcoMinga is a non-governmental organization with a network of 15 nature reserves across Ecuador. Since 2006, EcoMinga has been working alongside scientists and the local community to protect endemic and threatened biodiversity hotspots in the Andes mountain range — their reserves cover more than 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) in some of the most isolated and diverse ecosystems in the country. The Drácula reserve, founded in 2022, is located near the Colombian border in the Carchi province. With an altitude ranging from 900-2460 meters above sea level, the ecosystem is mainly cloud forest — a cool and wet climate characterized by clouds that form low, thick blankets over the treetops. This moist environment is perfect for epiphytes (plants that make their home on other plants and get their food from the air).
Andes cloud forest. Photo by Callie Broaddus.
Orchids are a type of epiphyte that are incredibly abundant in the Drácula reserve, including incredibly rare and newly discovered species. In fact, the reserve is named after the orchid genus Dracula — of which several species have been identified on the property. The reserve is also home to several other endemic and endangered animals such as the Rio Faisanes Stubfoot Toad (CR), the endangered Carchi Andes Toad (EN), the Andean Bear (VU), the Cloud-forest pygmy owl (VU),and the Brown-headed Spider Monkey (EN).
Over the past two years, though, the reserve and its surrounding community has been facing a precarious threat: illegal mining. A recent escalation in illegal small-scale mining schemes throughout Ecuador has caused devastating deforestation and pollution of key natural resources. Rivers, streams, and soil are contaminated with chemical and mineral runoff, making ecosystems unsafe for humans and wildlife alike.
Dracula psyche, orchid species endemic to the Carchi province. Photo by David Yela.
According to Global Forest Watch, approximately 142 acres of humid primary forest are cleared daily. The environmental devastation resulting from illegal mining has put thousands of species under further threat. Endemic species, of which there are many in the Drácula reserve, are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss. If their only habitat is destroyed, they go with it — if deforestation and pollution continues, we risk losing hundreds of iconic, rare, and yet-to-be discovered species of orchids, mammals, birds, and frogs, among many others. EcoMinga needed a solution; something that would help families become protectors of the reserve and begin to heal the harm mining has caused to the forest and its wildlife.
Building on a similar project in their Río Manduriaco reserve, EcoMinga proposed a virtual classroom that grants free access to 15 computers, classroom materials, and internet connection to the nearby towns of Quinchul and La Esperanza. People will have the opportunity to pursue online education and training, helping the community find environmentally friendly careers and reducing reliance on mining. It will be a safe space for women who face significant barriers to education like transportation
and gender stereotypes. It will be used for environmental education, inviting the community to participate in restoration and wildlife monitoring and building a deeper connection between humans and nature. Scientists and local environmental leaders will have access to the classroom to use as a meeting space, strengthening partnership and local capacity. EcoMinga also leads a women’s collective called Mujeres de Quinshul; together, the group has built a business around sustainable agriculture and biocommerce, growing and selling organic vanilla, fiber products, and fruits and vegetables to support the women’s income. The space will be an invaluable resource for them as they expand their business. The classroom will strengthen the local economy and community, giving women and families space to learn, grow, and become leading protectors of the reserve.
Photo by Milton Cantincuz.
Photo by Milton Canticruz.
The classroom is more than a place to learn; it represents hope for the future of the reserve and its nonhuman inhabitants. We are living through one of the greatest extinction events in the earth’s history, driven by human land use and activities. The World Wildlife Fund has estimated that we could be losing up to 10,000 species a year to extinction — equal to about half of the species currently known in Ecuador. So many species that we depend on — for medicines, clean water, clean air, tourism — could disappear forever. Grassroots solutions like this one, driven by local communities, are incredibly important in the fight against biodiversity loss. They build stewardship with nature and create lasting change rooted in the local culture. We can create real change for our endangered wildlife. Nature depends on our actions.
We invite you to help us create change for these species. Help us reach our goal of $5,000 to protect this spectacular place and the species that depend on it for life — before it’s too late. Your donations will:
- Curb habitat loss driven by illegal mining
- Create a safe space for the communities of Quinshul and La Esperanza to access internet, education, and sustainable job training
- Encourage local people to become protectors of nature
- Safeguard the incredible biodiversity of the Drácula reserve
With your support, we will reach new opportunities and open new doors — ones that give back to nature and prioritize the health of our planet and ourselves.