Pastaza Mosaic
ECUADOR’S LARGEST CARBON RESERVE
Chestnut-breasted coronet spotted in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
CONTENTS 7 things to know about Pastaza 1
A Unique Opportunity
2
The Challenge
3
The Solution
4
Critical Ecosystems
5
Threatened Species
6
Indigenous Communities
7
Maps, Lead Conservationist & More
Pastaza River 20 miles west of Puyo. Photo by Charles Smith.
Nature and Culture International conserves biologically diverse landscapes in Latin America, in concert with local cultures, for the wellbeing of the planet.
The giant river otter, the largest otter species.
A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY Nature and Culture seeks support to protect... VAST LANDSCAPES | Pastaza spans paramo grasslands, montane forests, and Amazon rainforest. CARBON STORES | Pastaza captures more than 946 million tons of carbon, nearly double the amount of Canada’s carbon emissions in 2018. DIVERSE WILDLIFE | Considered by scientists to be one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth. CULTURAL RICHNESS | Pastaza is home to the Achuar, Shuar, Shiwiar, Andwa, Kichwa, Waorani, and Sapara indigenous nationalities.
Kichwa girl playing in the rain in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
A Unique Opportunity... Nature and Culture International’s efforts in the province of Pastaza, Ecuador began in 2014 as our local conservationists worked closely with Pastaza’s indigenous nationalities and provincial government to create Pastaza Ecological Sustainable Use Area. Spanning 6.3 million acres within the mosaic, the reserve is larger than the state of Maryland and considered by scientists to be one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth.
PASTAZA, ECUADOR Located in northern Ecuador, the Pastaza Mosaic comprises parts of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest. It includes some of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
On a recent trip to the reserve, Nature and Culture’s President Matt Clark described “a profound experience, flying for an hour over Pastaza’s uninterrupted rainforest.” “It’s increasingly rare to see a large intact ecosystem like that – I’ve never seen so much forest at one time. I hope Nature and Culture can help maintain it that way.” With your support, we can. Nature and Culture asks you to join the work of our local conservationists and partners with a communitybased conservation approach that works. Your support will ensure the protection and sustainable management of Pastaza’s land, culture, resources, including carbon reserves and important water sources.
Colombia Ecuador
From 2016 to 2018, over 3,000 acres of forest were deforested each year.
THE CHALLENGE The quest for oil began in Pastaza in the 1960s. Helicopters carrying seismic crews fanned out across Pastaza and the greater Amazon in search of the crude oil believed to exist in vast deposits beneath the ground. Since then, approximately 16.8 million gallons of oil have leaked into the Ecuadorian rainforest causing water, soil, and vegetation pollution. Currently, the entire province of Pastaza is under oil concessions, permitting companies to explore for and produce oil; However, only two concessions are active. Indigenous nationalities continuously fight to prevent oil drilling on their land. Additionally, road construction in the area provides access for illegal logging, animal trafficking, agricultural expansion, and other development. Nature and Culture estimates that from 2016 to 2018, over 3,000 acres of forest in Pastaza were deforested each year, primarily due to agricultural expansion. As deforestation continues and climate change intensifies, forest loss and degradation will likely increase. We must act now – before Pastaza’s lush rainforest is replaced with fire-prone bush and savannas.
Nature and Culture conservationists with a mahogany tree in Pastaza.
THE SOLUTION Partnering with indigenous nationalities, local and provincial authorities, and generous people like you, Nature and Culture aims to protect Pastaza’s incredible biological and cultural diversity from increasing threats. We plan to conserve nearly 5 million acres of Pastaza’s ecosystems and ensure the sustainable management of its resources. To ensure lasting conservation impact, Nature and Culture will continue to support the participation and leadership of local communities and authorities in managing the Pastaza Ecological Sustainable Use Area. Management efforts will integrate indigenous knowledge of land management with the development planning of Pastaza’s government. Additionally, Nature and Culture will continue working on the implementation of low-emission development planning in the region. To date, we have supported the province in joining the international Governors’ Climate & Forests Task Force in support of these efforts.
GOALS 1. Sustainably manage and conserve 80% of the natural ecosystems within the mosaic. 2. Support the conservation of 41.8% of the Kichwa and Sapara indigenous land within the mosaic. 3. Restore 494 acres of important water resources to reduce carbon emissions due to deforestation and land degradation. 4. Protect habitat for threatened plant and animal species like the jaguar and mahogany tree.
Howler monkey on the Curaray River in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
WHEN YOU PROTECT PASTAZA, YOU PROTECT
Critical Ecosystems Threatened Species Indigenous Communities
CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS Ecuador’s largest carbon reserve The Amazon rainforest is a crucial part of our planet’s life-support system. It generates 6% of oxygen produced on land and regulates the world’s climate. Models indicate that moisture from the Amazon influences rainfall as far away as the Western United States and Central America. Spanning Ecuador’s Amazon, Pastaza’s rainforests are excellent buffers against the climate crisis. Its trees store massive amounts of carbon in their leaves, branches, and trunks.
Tree in Pastaza. Photo by Matt Clark.
Forests in the mosaic capture more than 946 million tons of carbon, nearly double the amount of Canada’s carbon emissions in 2018.
Governors’ Climate & Forests Task Force With support from Nature and Culture, the province of Pastaza has joined the Governors’ Climate & Forests (GCF) Task Force. The GCF Task Force is a subnational collaboration of 38 states and provinces working to protect tropical forests, reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and promote realistic pathways to sustainable development. Waterfall in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
Thousands of people depend on services provided by Pastaza’s ecosystems. Rivers are the main mode of transportation, and fish are the primary protein source. Pastaza’s rainforests mitigate the risk of fire and reduce air pollution, and plants provide food and medicine. A few thousand meters above the tropical rainforests of Pastaza, the paramo grasslands act as a massive water sponge, feeding 97 water sources in the region. This water is used by more than 83,900 people living in the surrounding area. Conserving these areas ensures water for agriculture and domestic use.
As part of the GCF Task Force, the province of Pastaza contributes innovation and leadership, engages and collaborates with stakeholders at multiple levels, and helps to establish pathways to effective approaches to reducing deforestation while enhancing livelihoods
Forest in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
Forest in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
Forests in Pastaza capture more than 946 million tons of carbon, nearly double the amount of Canada’s carbon emissions in 2018.
THREATENED SPECIES Considered by scientists to be one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth Pastaza holds world records for a wide array of plant and animal groups, from amphibians to trees to insects. A single hectare (2.47 acres) in the region may contain more tree species than are native to the continental United States and Canada combined.
Jaguars are critically endangered in Ecuador.
Another study shows that amphibians, birds, mammals and vascular plants all reach near maximum diversity in this region. Among the most representative species of fauna are the threatened lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), and jaguar (Panthera onca).
Just how many species live in the Amazon? The Amazon rainforest is home to more species of plants and animals than many other terrestrial ecosystems on the planet - housing at least 10% of the world’s known biodiversity!
Mahogany tree, known as caoba in Ecuador.
Pastaza safeguards the last remnants of mahogany in the world. Mahogany trees are now nearly all restricted to indigenous land and national parks, including land belonging to the Uyuimi Shuar community in Pastaza. In order for species to survive and thrive, they need habitat of sufficient size. Species also need migratory routes to ensure long-term survival. The mosaic includes Pastaza Ecological Sustainable Use Area and Yasuni National Park, one of Ecuador’s most important conservation areas. Connectivity between areas within the mosaic will allow the conservation of a diversity of species.
According to recent studies, the Amazon contains about 40,000 plant species, 427 mammal species, 1,294 bird species, 378 species of reptiles, 427 species of amphibians, and 3,000 species of fish. These are modest figures as new species are continuously being discovered.
The Amazon is home to creatures like the blue morpho butterfly.
Forest in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
A single hectare (2.47 acres) in the region may contain more tree species than are native to the continental United States and Canada combined, according to a 2010 Texas State University study.
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES An area rich in culture Pastaza is known for its cultural diversity. The region is home to seven of the fourteen indigenous nationalities present in Ecuador. Two nomadic clans of the Waorani indigenous people live within the mosaic. These clans, the Tagaeri and Toromenane, are among the last groups in the world living in voluntary isolation. Additionally, the last three guardians of the Zapara language are found in Pastaza. Zapara is one of eight languages in Ecuador at risk of disappearing completely due to migration, urbanization, and development. Indigenous woman in Pastaza.
Living Jungles Indigenous Kichwas in the Amazon manage their land under the concept of “Kawsak Sacha,” meaning “Living Jungles.” Kawsak Sacha is a living being, with consciousness, constituted by all the beings of the Jungle. It includes the beings of the animal, vegetable, mineral, spiritual, and cosmic worlds, in intercommunication with human beings, giving them what is necessary to reanimate their psychological, physical and spiritual facets, restoring energy, life, and balance. Photo courtesy of the Provincial Council of Pastaza.
Pastaza’s indigenous communities are our greatest allies in protecting the forest and sustainably managing its resources. Having lived in harmony with nature for more than 2,000 years, indigenous people are extremely judicious in their use of land. In Pastaza, indigenous communities plant small gardens, where they grow many types of food and medicinal plants, simulating the dynamics of the forest. They also designate areas and periods for hunting and fishing, as well as sacred areas where only few people are allowed to enter.
Kawsak Sacha is understood as sacred territory. Not only does it provide a home for all of its inhabitants, it also emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually revitalizes them.
Indigenous communities in Pastaza preserve an abundant and rich cultural legacy
Community members in Pastaza. Photo by Matt Clark.
Research has shown that forests managed by indigenous communities have lower deforestation rates and release less carbon dioxide.
Photo by Charles Smith.
APPENDIX Maps Lead Conservationist The Mosaic Model About Nature and Culture
Inca jay in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
MAPS
INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES
CARBON STOCK
Nature and Culture conservationist Jaime Toro. Photo by Charles Smith.
LEAD CONSERVATIONIST Jaime Toro grew up on a small farm in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, where he first fell in love with the outdoors. As he studied Forest Engineering at University, his love for nature grew into passion for protecting forests and water – two resources that sustain life on Earth. Jaime joined Nature and Culture International as a technician in 2011. When Nature and Culture opened an office in Puyo, Ecuador, he became coordinator of all projects carried out in the north-central Amazon region of Ecuador. Jaime believes strong relationships with local allies is essential to conservation success. In Pastaza, he has formed close relationships with indigenous peoples and local authorities, and facilitates collaboration between governments and communities. As lead conservationist, Jaime plans to continue building relationships and pursuing community-based conservation initiatives to guarantee the protection of Pastaza’s forest and rich culture.
“What I like most about working at Nature and Culture International is that we are like a family. There is a lot of trust among the team members.”
Blue-and-yellow macaws on the Curaray River in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
THE MOSAIC MODEL Nature and Culture’s mosaics are managed by a team of conservationists and guided by a mosaic director. Mosaic conservation teams are experts in every meaningful aspect of their mosaic. Their charge is nothing less than strengthening the civil, political, legal, social, and economic systems that ensure benefits for both the natural ecosystem and the local people. They use habitat information from Global Forest Watch to focus on preventing biodiversity loss and ensuring that native habitat is protected in the declared areas. As much as possible, these efforts are performed in collaboration with private owners within the mosaic. Nature and Culture uses the Vital Signs methodology developed by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Vital Signs uses a rating system to galvanize ongoing efforts to ensure that protected areas and indigenous territories within each mosaic have: 1. Clear legal designations of protected areas and integration within the wider regional development and zoning plans; 2. Natural resource plans and the tools to implement them; 3. Governance mechanisms; and 4. Sustainable finance mechanisms.
Community member in Pastaza. Photo by Matt Clark.
A strategy for building sustainable protected areas... With Global Forest Watch data, Nature and Culture regularly monitors changes in natural land cover and vegetation—the key indicators of the effectiveness of our work and the health of the ecosystem. Mosaic directors link people who care for their natural habitat to government compensation programs that pay them for conservation. We see more opportunities in this arena as the importance of incentivizing people to maintain natural habitat for carbon sequestration grows. Finally, mosaic directors engage with infrastructure and development policies, forest restoration options, and community forest reserves.
The spectacled bear, a far-ranging species.
CONNECTIVITY In order for species to survive and thrive, they need habitat of sufficient size. Species also need migratory routes to ensure long-term survival. This concept of creating large-scale protected areas that provide connections to other protected areas is central to Nature and Culture’s strategy. Towards that end, over the next five years your support will ensure that at least 50% of the natural habitat in 14-18 large-scale eco-regional landscapes is protected. Collectively these landscapes cover about 30 million acres of land that is home to millions of plant and animal species.
Better habitat connectivity will allow wildlife to migrate and disperse, boost biodiversity and resilience in degraded ecosystems, safeguard genetic flow between populations, and ensure species are better able to adapt to our changing climate.
“I believe Nature and Culture will be remembered in history as one of the few organizations who did the right thing, on the right scale, in the right place, and in time.” —E.O. Wilson, Father of Biodiversity Science, 2-time Pulitzer Prize Winner
The arboreal three-toed sloth, a species that evolved 40 million years ago.
ABOUT NATURE AND CULTURE Founded in 1997, Nature and Culture International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving biologically diverse landscapes in Latin America, in concert with local cultures, for the well-being of the planet. We’ve successfully implemented a communitybased conservation model, resulting in the legal protection of more than 20 million acres of forest ecosystems and other habitat in Latin America. Working primarily at the subnational level and in focused, ecologically important landscapes, we have offices located in and around the areas we protect, providing us the opportunity to partner with communities to provide long-term impact.
Nature and Culture safeguards diverse landscapes in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil
20,360,466 ACRES FOR THE PLANET Nature and Culture operates eight offices throughout Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico, and is expanding efforts in Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil, where we work with trusted partners who share our values of community-based conservation. In each country, you support local conservationists who have the technical expertise, cultural understanding, and long-term relationships with communities to effectively and efficiently save the planet’s most precious natural places. Since 1997, our donors have saved 20,360,466 acres of endangered wild places in Mexico and South America.
ACTIVITIES ON THE GROUND A leader in community-based conservation
Nature and Culture conservationist Trotsky Riera and park guard Segundo Velez in Zamora, Ecuador.
Nature and Culture conservationist in the Tamaya – Abujao Regional Conservation Area in Ucayali, Peru. Photo by Michell León.
EFFICIENCY Each dollar you give is used to maximize conservation impact. Using cost-effective and efficient strategies, protected areas are created at an average cost of $10 per acre. A community-based and entrepreneurial approach allows the organization to be strategic yet nimble and pursue a diversity of strategies to protect local, regional, and national parks in partnership with communities and governments.
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Forest in Pastaza. Photo by Charles Smith.
Will you protect Pastaza?
CONTACT US United States
1400 Maiden Lane, Del Mar, CA 92014 dogood@natureandculture.org NatureCulture natureculture_org savingnature
Ecuador
Puyo, Cuenca, Loja, Zapotillo nciecuador@naturalezaycultura.org nci.ecuador nciecuador
Peru
Loreto, Piura, Amazonas secretaria-peru@naturalezaycultura.org naturalezayculturainternacionalperu
Mexico
Alamos dogood@natureandculture.org NaturalezayCulturaMexico
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