Jocotoco Conservation Foundation

Mission

To protect and conserve threatened ecosystems in Ecuador or other relevant countries in Latin America, with some of the world’s richest and most important concentrations of biodiversity, especially in terms of threatened and endangered endemic species.

Summary of org’s work

Fundación Jocotoco actively protects and manages over 103,784 acres (42,000 ha) of its own nature reserves across Ecuador. In addition, it cooperatively manages another 188,000 acres (76,000 ha) of private and communal reserves in partnership with local communities—bringing its total conservation impact to more than 290,000 acres, an area larger than New York City. They’ve restored tropical forests by planting over 1.7 million native trees and transformed degraded lands like the Canandé Reserve into thriving ecosystems.

Jocotoco’s approach combines science, technology, and global collaboration with deep community engagement. They empower 14 Indigenous and ancestral communities, support local protected area management, and create sustainable livelihoods through projects like cacao farming, native plant nurseries, and reforestation in the Chocó.

Location of work

Fundación Jocotoco works across Ecuador, protecting some of the country’s most biologically rich and threatened ecosystems. Their network includes 18 strategically located reserves covering over 103,784 acres, with an additional 188,000 acres managed cooperatively with local communities. These reserves span a wide range of ecosystems—from cloud forests and paramo grasslands in the Andes to Amazonian rainforest, coastal dry forests, and the Galápagos highlands. This broad geographic scope demonstrates Jocotoco’s commitment to protecting Ecuador’s most vulnerable ecosystems through a blend of scientific research, habitat restoration, and deep community collaboration.