Chontaloma Forest School
Location: Mashpi Community, Pacto, Ecuador
Altitude: Between 500 and 700 meters above sea level
Distance: 135 km. from Quito (aprox. 2.5 to 3 hours)
At Chontaloma we do scientific research while developing sustainable productive practices that follow the principles of agroecology, permaculture and analog forestry. We are also interested in biological research, from specialized studies in particular groups of organisms (birds, amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, vascular plants), to processes of ecological restoration at the landscape level.
El Porvenir Forest School
Location: Nanegalito, Ecuador
Altitude: Between 1700 and 2000 meters above sea level
Distance: 62 km. from Quito (aprox. 1.5 hours)
El Porvenir has been involved in cattle raising for 40 years. However, as a result of a generational change, in the last decade they have evolved from traditional practices towards sustainable livestock practices. Good management practices in livestock are key to transforming the current degradation processes, as livestock is the one of the main types of production which generates one of the most challenging ecological pressures. El Porvenir also focuses on the integral farm management and the implementation of good management practices in livestock.
Intillacta Forest School
Location: Miraflores, Nanegalito, Ecuador
Altitude: Between 1700 and 1800 meters above sea level
Distance: 63,5 km. from Quito (aprox. 1.5 hours)
At Intillacta we are dedicated to constructive education, agroecology, and nature and adventure tourism. We have a variety of agroforestry coffee plots, pastures, a nursery for vegetable production, forests, and areas under natural and assisted regeneration. We also do research for conservation purposes and create environmental awareness through talks on ecology, climate change, restoration, environmental ethics and the importance of protecting and caring for common goods.
Pambiliño Forest School
Location: Mashpi Community, Pacto, Ecuador
Altitude: 550 meters above sea level
Distancia: 135 km. from Quito (aprox. 2.5 to 3 hours)
At Pambiliño we focus on experiential education and sharing knowledge on the sustainable use of forests. We work first-hand with local schools from the communities of Mashpi and Pachijal to support local education, and we also work with national and international students on riverbank forest restoration, analog forestry, and environmental education. Since 2009 we have been working on the restoration of 6 hectares of former pastures that are currently edible forests that have native and exotic species for food production, medicinal plants and other materials for the sustainable use of forests.
Santa Lucía Forest School
Location: In between Nanegal and Calacalí, Ecuador
Altitude: Between 1400 and 2600 meters above sea level
Distancia: 80 km. from Quito (aprox. 2 hours by car + a 1.5 hour walk of 500 meters)
Santa Lucía is managed through community initiatives and offers self-guided trails, as well as apprenticeship programs for university students focused primarily on bird and wildlife monitoring. They work together with national and foreign researchers to conduct studies on wildlife. With the aim of influencing local education, the Santa Lucía School Forest will work with the Santa Marianita school “Manuel Matheus”, in an effort to involve the local population with their surrounding forests so that they can recognize, value, and take care of them.
Un poco del Chocó Forest School
Location: El Copal Community, Gualea, Ecuador
Altitude: Between 950 and 1200 meters above sea level
Distance: 85 km. from Quito (aprox. 2.5 to 3 hours)
Un poco del Chocó is dedicated to bird monitoring and the ecology of tropical forests. They have a lot of experience working with university students, who carry out internships and specific research programs. Additionally, since 2008 Un poco del Chocó is protecting 15 hectares of forests, between natural regeneration and native forests, located at the high micro-basin of the Area of Conservation and Sustainable Uses (ACUS)-Pachijal.
Yakunina Forest School
Location: Mashpi Community, Pacto, Ecuador
Altitude: Between 550 and 650 meters above sea level
Distance: 136 km. from Quito (aprox. 2.5 to 3 hours)
Yakunina is located in the micro-basin of the Mashpi River and has an extension of 15 hectares. They are mainly focused on sharing knowledge and practices based on the principles of permaculture. They are dedicated to ecological restoration and agroforestry systems for timber, edible, and medicinal purposes. Currently, they focus on transforming 2 hectares of agrochemically grown palmito plantations, into an organic and agroforestry system.
