Arcoiris Ecologic Foundation

Arcoiris Ecologic Foundation is a non-government funded, non-profit organization located in the city of Loja. It was founded on the 24th of January, 1989, by a group of university students interested in conserving the natural beauty of Southern Ecuador.

It was recognized legally, by means of Ministerial Agreement N° 0267 of June 13th, 1991, of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cattle raising, published in the Official Registration N° 711 of June 24th, 1991.

 Arcoiris operates in the south of Ecuador, in the provinces of El Oro, Loja, Zamora Chinchipe, and Morona Santiago.  Our main office is located in the city of Loja.  Arcoiris operates throughout Ecuador and is a member of the Ecuadorian Committee for the defense of Nature and the Environment (CEDENMA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Secretary of the United Nations of the Fight Against Desertification.  Locally, Arcoiris also coordinates the Moor Work Group of Loja.

Arcoiris works in mangrove forests, dry forests, moors, cloud forests, and jungles in southern Ecuador.  We divide these areas into the Southern Amazon, Southern Andes, Western Forest, and Mangrove Forest conservation programs.  We also maintain three private reserves: the El Tundo Natural Reserve, Hanne Forest, and the Arcoiris Reserve.

Vision

By 2015, the people of Southern Ecuador will have taken over the majority of the leadership in conserving the biodiversity and natural resources of the region, and the local government will have established clear and specific environmental regulations. This will work to mainain the functionality of the ecosystem, ensuring the survival of wild flora and fauna, and therefore bettering the quality of life of the population.

Objectives

• To maintain and strengthen conservation efforts, especially those which are binational, in the coastal forests of the Jambelí Archipelago and its zone of influence.
• To contribute to the conservation of the Amazonian tropical rain forests in Southern Ecuador, maintaining the functionality of the ecosystem and thereby ensuring the survival of plant and animal species in the region, all while respecting cultural identity.
• To contribute to the conservation of the natural resources and biodiversity of the Tumbesin region in Southern Ecuador.
• To maintain the ecologic integrity of the high Andean region of Southern Ecuador.

Conservation Stategies

• Working with other local organizations
• Working with the municipal and provincial environmental agencies
• Working with manufacturing and commercialization systems
• Negotiating the establishment of new reserves
• Biologic, ecologic, and social investigation
• Territorial organization to benefit the conservation of nature
• Surveying native culture
• Environmental education
• Eco-tourism

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