Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco (Jocotoco Conservation Foundation) is an Ecuadorian non-governmental environmental organization. Fundación Jocotoco was established in 1998 to protect land of critical importance to the conservation of Ecuador’s endangered birds and associated biodiversity not otherwise protected by Ecuador's existing system of protected areas. The Foundation primarily achieves this aim by purchasing lands and managing them as ecological reserves.
To date, the Jocotoco Foundation has established eleven reserves protecting over 16,000 ha (approx 40,000 acres). While the reserves have primarily been established to protect habitat for endangered birds, their habitats and many associated plants and animals are protected as well. The Foundation’s reserves are known to support populations of over 800 species of birds, of which over 50 are globally threatened or near-threatened and more than 100 are restricted-range or endemic species.
Fundación Jocotoco established its first reserve, the Tapichalaca Biological Reserve in 1998 to protect the type locality and main range of the newly discovered Jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi). Robert S. Ridgely and others discovered the striking new bird species in wet upper subtropical forest in southeastern Ecuador (ca. 2,500 m elevation). The reserve now protects > 2870 hectares of forest and an associated 380+ species of birds and numerous range-restricted plants, amphibians, mammals, and invertebrates.
Since its inception in 1998, Fundación Jocotoco has greatly expanded its efforts and the organization now administers eleven reserves across Ecuador. The reserves are strategically located in key areas of global biodiversity and endemism. In total, Fundación Jocotoco's reserves protect approximately 800 species birds on just over 16,000 hectares of land.
Fundación Jocotoco is funded primarily by individuals through cooperation with various partner organisations, most significantly Rainforest Trust , the American Bird Conservancy, and World Land Trust.
Current Fundación Jocotoco reserves and some focal bird species:
Fundación Jocotoco and its funding bodies support an active research program that seeks to gather critical baseline natural history information on the endangered birds protected in the reserves. Results of these studies will facilitate more effective conservation of the threatened species. Recent projects include:
See Fundación Jocotoco's website for more information on: