The 217,360 acre Gualaquiza Municipal Reserve is the most recent in a long line of declarations brought about by the work of our office in Cuenca, Ecuador. This new reserve is twice the size of the nearby Cajas National Park, and protects pristine cloud forests while ensuring both the quality and … [Read more...] about New Reserve in Ecuador Protects Key Andean Ecosystems Along with Local Water Supply
NCI Assists in Colombia’s Declaration of Two New Cloud Forest Reserves
Totaling nearly 150,000 acres, the two new reserves declared in Antioquia, Colombia protect rich Andean cloud forests home to stunning biodiversity - including a species of monkey found nowhere else in the world. NCI's partnership with CORNARE, the regional environmental authority that declared the … [Read more...] about NCI Assists in Colombia’s Declaration of Two New Cloud Forest Reserves
Making Great Strides in Protecting Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest through SocioBosque
“NCI is, perhaps, our main NGO ally currently.” – Max Lascano, Director of SocioBosqueSince its inception in 2008, NCI has been an official partner of the Ecuadorian government’s innovative SocioBosque program, which combines forest conservation with sustainable economic development. To date, … [Read more...] about Making Great Strides in Protecting Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest through SocioBosque
Mongabay.com Interviews NCI President Byron Swift on Scaling Bottom-Up Conservation in Latin America
By Rhett Butler, Mongabay.comJuly 15, 2015 - One of the biggest complaints about nature conservation is that the business is often a top-down affair, where decisions are made by officials and NGOs in distant cities, rather than at the local level, where most of the impacts occur and the bulk of … [Read more...] about Mongabay.com Interviews NCI President Byron Swift on Scaling Bottom-Up Conservation in Latin America
Celebrating the National Declaration of Peru’s 977,600 Acre Maijuna-Kichwa Reserve After 8 Years of NCI’s Support
June 18, 2015 – Yesterday, President Humala of Peru officially granted national recognition to the Maijuna-Kichwa Regional Conservation Area in the Amazon rainforest of northern Peru. Bigger than California’s Yosemite National Park, this vast reserve protects nearly one million acres of rainforest … [Read more...] about Celebrating the National Declaration of Peru’s 977,600 Acre Maijuna-Kichwa Reserve After 8 Years of NCI’s Support
An Interview with Romero Ríos, President of the Indigenous Maijuna Federation
Below is an interview with Romero Ríos, President of the Maijuna Indigenous Federation, on the national declaration of the Maijuna-Kichwa Regional Conservation Area (RCA) on June 17, 2015. This vast reserve protects 977,600 acres of richly biodiverse Amazon rainforest in Peru's western Loreto … [Read more...] about An Interview with Romero Ríos, President of the Indigenous Maijuna Federation
NCI-Peru Press Release: Celebrating the Declaration of the Maijuna-Kichwa Reserve in Peru’s Amazon
Key Water Sources and Archeological Sites Preserved by New Protected Area in Chachapoyas, Peru
May 2015 | The 42,000 acre La Jalca Private Conservation Area protects a rich area of Andean cloud forest in the Utcubamba watershed, home to páramos (also known as jalcas) and small lagoons at high elevations. This region is important to Peru’s cultural heritage as it has several Chachapoyan … [Read more...] about Key Water Sources and Archeological Sites Preserved by New Protected Area in Chachapoyas, Peru
Rainforest Conservation in Ecuador through the Eyes of an Indigenous Achuar
As official partners of SocioBosque, we have assisted 28 communities in entering their lands in SocioBosque, 16 of which are indigenous. These efforts have protected more than 500,000 acres of biodiverse forests and numerous threatened species, as well as generated over $1 million in funds. … [Read more...] about Rainforest Conservation in Ecuador through the Eyes of an Indigenous Achuar
New Beginnings: NCI Expands to Protect Colombia’s Biodiversity
In response to growing threats to the forests that sustain our planet, we plan to double our impact by expanding into Colombia and Bolivia from our existing operations in Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. To date we have entered into partnerships with two of Colombia’s regional environmental authorities and … [Read more...] about New Beginnings: NCI Expands to Protect Colombia’s Biodiversity
New Protected Area Declared to Conserve Key Ecosystems in Piura, Peru
The Piura region of Peru now boasts two new protected areas created through a collaboration between NCI, the regional government of Piura, and local communities. On March 31st, Peru’s Ministry of Environment declared the San José de Tapal private community reserve, protecting 2,270 acres of high … [Read more...] about New Protected Area Declared to Conserve Key Ecosystems in Piura, Peru
Renowned biologist E.O. Wilson joins NCI’s Board of Directors
March 2015 | We are excited to announce that noted biologist, author and Harvard professor E.O. Wilson has joined Nature and Culture International’s Board of Directors. A longtime advocate of NCI’s work to conserve the endangered tropical forests of Latin America, E.O. Wilson officially joined NCI’s … [Read more...] about Renowned biologist E.O. Wilson joins NCI’s Board of Directors
NCI Signs the United Nations’ New York Declaration on Forests
February 2015 | Nature and Culture International (NCI) is now an official signatory of the New York Declaration on Forests – a declaration unveiled at the United Nations Climate Summit in September 2014. Its stated goals, supported by governments, corporations and NGOs worldwide, are to halve … [Read more...] about NCI Signs the United Nations’ New York Declaration on Forests
Indigenous Shuar and Kichwa Communities Protect Over 100,000 Acres of Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador
In the Ecuadorian rainforest of Pastaza and Morona-Santiago, NCI is working with indigenous communities to conserve their land while earning needed funds for their sustainable development programs. We are working with the Shuar communities of Tumpaim and Kaank Grande, the Achuar community of … [Read more...] about Indigenous Shuar and Kichwa Communities Protect Over 100,000 Acres of Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador
Disney Supports NCI’s Work in Mexico with a Grant for Jaguar Conservation
October 2014 | Nature and Culture International’s Wildlife Trackers of Monte Mojino project has been awarded a $24,350 grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to strengthen community awareness and protection of key species and habitats within NCI’s 14,579 acre Monte Mojino Reserve in the … [Read more...] about Disney Supports NCI’s Work in Mexico with a Grant for Jaguar Conservation
Protection of Key Watershed Underway in Peru, Totaling 1,617,000 Acres of Rainforest
October 2014 | With the support of NCI's team in Amazonas, the Regional Government of Amazonas has approved an ordinance protecting the Utcubamba River watershed's environmental values, spanning 1,617,000 acres. Within this critical watershed, ten new protected areas are planned to encompass 535,000 … [Read more...] about Protection of Key Watershed Underway in Peru, Totaling 1,617,000 Acres of Rainforest
Peruvian Candidates for Regional President Support Environmental and Social Principles
Opportunities for Expansion in Colombia
Ecuador’s neighbor to the north, Colombia is home to more vertebrate species than any other country on Earth, and ranks number one in the world in terms of bird, amphibian and butterfly species. Roughly 10% of the planet’s species are found amid its many ecosystems, which range from the Andes … [Read more...] about Opportunities for Expansion in Colombia
Interview with Lydia Lozano, Project Coordinator for NCI-Mexico
“Seeing the path of Nature and Culture in Ecuador has given me the understanding to know where to go from here.” A few weeks ago, Lydia Lozano, the Project Coordinator for NCI-Mexico, visited our staff in Ecuador to learn from their work with local communities and governments. Because both Ecuador … [Read more...] about Interview with Lydia Lozano, Project Coordinator for NCI-Mexico
NCI’s Work Supports Creation of Ecuador’s 6th UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Declared on June 13th, the new Bosque Seco Biosphere Reserve in southwestern Ecuador extends over 1.25 million acres of the country’s most pristine dry forest, home to one of the highest concentrations of endemic birds in South America and an important population of flagship species including the … [Read more...] about NCI’s Work Supports Creation of Ecuador’s 6th UNESCO Biosphere Reserve