Municipal Ecological Reservation Runahurco
Gualaquiza Canton, Ecuador
gadgualaquiza.gob.ec/gualaquiza/aecmr
Runahurco
Our current focus is in the south of Ecuador in a territory called Área Ecológica de Conservación Municipal al "Runahurco" AECMR (municipal ecological area of conservation Runahurco). In the language of Quechua, Runa means human/people and Hurco mountain. The region lies In the Ecuadorian
province of Morona Santiago and it currently spansover more than 87,976 hectares.
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The reservation consists mainly of sensitive ecosystems of peatlands,
foot hill rainforests and rural parishes: Amazonas, Bermejos,
NuevaTarqui, Bomboiza, Chiguinda, El Rosario, San Miguel de Cuyes,
El Ideal and residential part of the city Gualaquiza. The whole area
is located in the Amazon tropical part of Ecuador but it also goes
up to the subtropicalevergreen mountain cloud forests of
Páramos de Matanga mountains and Cordillera Moriré mountains.
Ecological Reservation Runahurco has as its principal objective the protection of biological and cultural diversity, the preservation of ecosystems and connectivity corridors of NP Sangay - Podocarpus, environmental protection, promoting sustainable use of natural resources and protection of water resources, mainly of those intended for human consumption.
Conservation Zone and Ecologic Reservation El Paraiso
El Paraiso
The territory called Area de conservación y Reserva Ecologica "El Paraiso" (El Paraíso means Paradise) in the Ecuadorian province of Morona Santiago is a part of nature reservation Runahurco and it covers an area of 588,907 hectares. Reservation is self-governed by the residents of Tumbez village and it lies 27 km north of Gualaquiza town in Morona Santiago province.
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Founded in 2005 through the management of a local community; It is located between 1000-2000 meters above sea level. Due to the special conditions of climate, topography and geology in this area, the greater biodiversity of the eastern foothills is evident. This area, due to its excellent state of conservation, is considered extremely vulnerable and, therefore, a priority for the conservation of regional biological diversity.
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El Paraiso is where our project began and where we are focusing our preliminary efforts.
Through research, environmental education and local eco-tourism development, we help maintain its biodiversity, fostering a culture of conservation and sustainable development with criteria of inclusion and equity.
The support that we offer this management unit is to expand the buffer zone associated with Runahurco, ensuring the habitat for the flora and fauna species of this living laboratory.
We collaborate and work together with the European association Forest.ink, Universidad del Azuay in Ecuador, the Faculty of regional development and international studies of the University of Mendel de Brno in the Czech Republic and we are part of the international project UNIDA (United for the development of The Amazon). Through this context, Bosque Medicinal was legalized in July 2019 as a non-profit foundation. All funds raised at the foundation are through the support of volunteers and donors from around the world.
Phase I and II are complete! Thanks to the help and contributions provided by our donors, the first 52 hectares of the jungle in "Valle del Colibrí" were acquired in the first phase and in the second phase, funds were acquired for the construction of the biological research station - El Refugio.
Now we seek support for Phase III of the project- with the goal acquire 30 hectares of land known as "The Garden of Roses".
By buying and preserving the land adjacent to the “El Paraíso” ecological reserve, new alternatives for conservation and maintenance of its biodiversity can be generated, guaranteeing its natural state in the future.
Once we purchase the land, we have several projects that we would like to initiate with it.
1) As it is already an open clearing, we can partner with local and European universities in establishing a place to implement and study permaculture designed for this part of the rainforest. With this, we can demonstrate to local farmers a way to grow crops that does not damage the land or water as much.
2) The Chinchona tree, famous for bringing the life-saving medicine of quinine to the world, has almost completely disappeared from Ecuador. We will repopulate the forests with this disappearing wonder.
Beyond being a launching point for new reforestation and conservation activities, it will help secure access to the waterfalls beyond, and provide another opportune area for our camera traps that we use to study the local wildlife population. As a result of these camera traps, we have published scientific papers with the help of our biologist Fredy Nurga, of the Universidad de Azuay.
Please help us protect this land, every donation helps! Thank you for helping the life on our planet.
