COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION OF NMBS IN

The Mache-Chindul Reserve in northwest Ecuador is a BirdLife International 'Important Bird Area' that houses at least 28 Neotropical migratory species, 3 of which are Birds of Conservation Concern.

Yet, several thousand people with limited education and economic opportunities live within its borders, leading to deforestation and habitat loss.

This project directly contributes to the conservation of Neotropical migratory birds and endemic taxa in this biodiversity hotspot via the purchase of priority habitat, restoration of degraded habitat, protection of habitat at immediate risk of illegal land invasion, and community capacity building.

In previous phases of this project, Fundacion para la Conservacion de los Andes Tropicales (FCAT) documented the importance of the project area for Neotropical migrants, identified priority forest fragments for conservation of migratory birds, acquired 1621 acres of priority habitat, established a field station with capacity for 50 visitors, reforested more than 247 acres, and increased awareness, capacity, and economic alternatives via women's art workshops, youth environmental programs and other programs.

FCAT is now poised to extend this work and impact the conservation of migratory birds by: (1) acquiring and protecting strategically located habitat, (2) restoring 98 acres of previously acquired but degraded habitat, and (3) expanding an up-and running remote sensing and machine-learning deforestation monitoring program to cover 37,065 acres.

In doing so, this project will contribute to FCAT's establishment of a corridor linking 12,355 acres of continuous, priority habitat to achieve integrated environmental and societal benefits - a crucial requirement for any realistic, long term conservation strategy for migratory birds in the project area.