The Project
Wildlife Conservation Expedition in the Ecuadorian Amazon

The rainforests of the world are home to two-thirds of all the living and animal species of the planet, absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide, and are often referred to as the ‘world’s largest pharmacy’ because of the amazing natural medicines they hold. Yet these precious and invaluable natural resources are under threat from mankind. The Ecuadorian Amazonia is listed by the IUCN and WWF as one of the world’s ‘Centres of Plant Diversity’ – the most important global sites for conservation (CPD 1998), but in the last 35 years the Amazon rainforest has been reduced by two-fifths. By joining this GVI wildlife conservation expedition to work alongside young people from various indigenous and colonist (settler) communities in 1,800 hectares of mostly primary rainforest, you will help to reduce the effects mankind has on the Ecuadorian rainforest. This field research and community education project aims to help students from local, agricultural and disadvantaged communities to build a sustainable source of income from ecotourism, conservation and sustainable agriculture. This provides an alternative to the highly destructive practices of forestry or petroleum production, increasing the conservation value of the area and enabling local capacity building for future management.

The field research program involves creating species-lists of targeted animal groups, such as mammals, birds and amphibians, and determining the distribution and abundance of these groups. There are numerous plant and animal species in the Amazon rainforest, the identification of which provides a strong basis for the conservation and preservation of local forests. The number of species is also overwhelming, for example over 420 species of bird have been identified in previous years of research. The Amazon is also home to river turtles, caiman, a number of snakes, and a great variety of monkeys, macaws and butterflies. The region has the highest plant diversity in the world, and many new species have been found during the course of previous research.

Through scientific research and community projects, GVI will greatly enhance learning opportunities for students who may go on to work in the fields of ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and conservation, in addition to providing them with an invaluable opportunity to practice their developing English language skills and work alongside foreign visitors. In exchange, the students, their teachers and members from local communities offer a wealth of knowledge about their culture, traditions and medicinal plants, as well as offering you the opportunity to learn Spanish.

Expedition Aims

Some 50% of Ecuador’s tropical rainforests have been lost to destructive industrial practices, including oil and gas drilling, mining, farming and forestry. This environmental degradation, along with poverty, disease and a poor quality of public education, are all inextricably linked together. To address these issues, GVI’s expedition works towards achieving the following aims:

• Managing a permanent, full-time biological field station at Yachana to conduct scientific research and generate national and international conservation interest
• Identifying and cataloguing local bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian and plant species
• Supporting the creation of a legally designated rainforest reserve
• Providing project support in the areas of conservation, ecotourism and sustainable agriculture
• Facilitating learning of English as a Foreign Language through TEFL projects including classroom teaching and informal conversation practice
• Supporting small-scale infrastructure development projects
• Facilitating cultural exchange between expedition members and students
• Establishing relationships with leading scientific and development agencies and universities, nationally and internationally.

The Yachana Community

Yachana is a Quichua Indian word meaning ‘place of learning’. With over 20 years of experience in community development projects along the upper Napo River, the concept of meaningful education provides a cornerstone of GVI’s and our partners’ philosophy. Students from indigenous and colonist communities from as near as five minutes and as far as five hours by canoe, attend the Yachana High School and form a ‘community’ of interests. However, the training they receive and skills they learn have much broader impacts for the communities they represent by providing alternatives in sustainable means of living. In this way, GVI’s work, and that of its expedition members, reaches the much broader Amazonian community of inhabitants whose way of life is increasingly under threat.