Fundacion Jatun Sacha

Description

Jatun Sacha Foundation is a Ecuadorian NGO organization, founded in 1989, has a main office in Quito and field stations in the most representative ecosystems of Ecuador:

• The Jatun Sacha field facility and reserve was open in 1986 and conserve a very important transitional (Andes-Amazon) forest (2000 hectares), tagged as Napo Hot Spot of biodiversity.
• In The Bilsa reserve, the field facility was dedicated to Aldwin Gentry (+), Ted Parker (+), and Carl Dodson and was open in 1994, the reserve conserve a important forest remnant (3500 hectares) at 600 meters above sea level of the Choc biogeographic corridor forests.
• The Guandera field facility and reserve establishing in 1994 conserve a small portion of the last sizable highland, Inter-Andean valley Clusia Flaviflora wet montane forest (1000 hectares) at more than 3000 meters above sea level left in northern Ecuador
• In addition we have two others sites:
• The Galapagos associate reserve were the facility is located in the highlands of San Cristbal island and the main activities are related with eradication of introduced species and the restoration of the native vegetation of the island.
• We work in collaboration with the governmental Galapagos National Park in the conservation of the Galapagos turtle, establishment of native trees nursery, eradication of allien species and community work.
• The other site is Congal associate reserve, a coastal area were the work done is related with mangrove restoration, community work within others.

Jatun Sacha seeks to "research and education for the conservation of Ecuadorian biodiversity" and the benefit of all people. To fulfill this mission, the Foundation Board has set these broad goals:

• Increase public engagement with conservation;
• Promote opportunities to research and visits to our reserves;
• Strengthen and diversify the research and conservation workforce;
• Strengthen the link with universities and people interested in research and conservation of the biodiversity;
• Foster education in conservation and tropical biodiversity for everyone;
• Enhance the coverage of subjects in the field;
• Improve national and international cooperation ;
• Provide a voice for science on conservation issues, and
• Promote the responsible use of science in public policy;

Jatun Sacha by serving as educator, leader, spokesperson and professional associate, in addition to organizing volunteer, courses, workshops activities, acts as national counterpart and team leader in many scientific entrepreneur and spearheads programs that raise the bar of understanding the importance of forest conservation.

The non-profit Jatun Sacha Foundation fulfills its mission through initiatives in conservation policy, Consulting in Biology, ecology, education, natural resources management and research within others fields

Open to all, Jatun Sacha includes different programs to fulfill these goals:

• Research

More than 150 research projects were carried out in our field stations related with plants, animals, ecology, animal-plant interactions, plant-soil-interactions. Check lists of plants and animals are available for all Jatun Sacha reserves.

• Conservation projects:

More than 1000 hectares have been reforested with the foundation restoration of depredated landscape projects, eradication of introduced species, enhancing of secondary growth forests.
More than 400 lectures has been presented in many workshops and international meetings related with science and conservation of tropical forest.

• Courses

Over 100 courses related with the ecology, natural history, conservation, botany, zoology and tropical biology in general had been given in association with national, international universities and organizations.
Field courses are intended for undergraduate and graduate students. The courses are designed to stimulate students to observe and ask questions about biological processes, to develop ideas and to test hypothesis in the field using the scientific method.
Jatun Sacha works in a personal basis over the needs of each one of the organizations and professors, providing with logistic and content support for tropical field programs in all Jatun Sacha reserves. A fields experience in any of our courses normally is inspirational, rewarding and enjoyable for any participant.

• Volunteer

In its life time, Jatun Sacha had served some 26000 volunteers in its reserves
The foundation offers volunteer opportunities for Ecuadorian and international volunteers at the Biological Research Stations that owns and manages in Ecuador's tropical forests.
Volunteers help with agroforestry, reforestation, environmental education, health, nutrition, construction and basic research projects
A typical volunteer weekly work schedule is:

• Two days of work on forest and reforestation projects.
• Two days of hiking where volunteers learn about the local ecology and socioeconomic factors that affect the local ecosystem.
• One day of work on mini-research projects in small groups.
• One day of work on station and reserve maintenance.
• Visits to local communities.

• Apprenticeships (Internships)