The Bilsa Project

Integrating biological conservation with local communities. A project in Ecuador, sponsored by SIDA (Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency)

Astrid Nuñez & Ann-Sofie Wernersson

1998

Summary

 

Bilsa is a biological reserve in northern Ecuador, protecting 2500 ha of premountainous coastal rainforest. Less than one percent of the original area remains. Its composition of flora and fauna is unique and the area is recognized internationally for both its biodiversity and rarity. Rare mammalian species found within the reserve include the jaguar, the giant anteater and abundant populations of the threatened mantled howler monkey. At least 30 plant species new to science have been uncovered and more than 300 different bird species, including the long-wattled umbrella bird, have been observed. This is the highest number of bird species at any coastal site in Ecuador.

Currently about 20 persons, Ecuadorians and foreigners, are working full time with the project, assisted by over 100 volunteers per year. Local families, learning about and receiving plants from the plant school, regularly visit the station. The station can accommodate about 50 persons and there is a visitor’s center used for teaching, conferences etc, for about 150 attendants. Electricity is provided by solar panels.

Two things make this project unique. Bilsa has one of the most ambitious reforestation programs in the country. Approximately 85 000 trees, including 10 000 fruit trees, have been planted at degraded sites within the reserve. They also have a successful community extension work. At the beginning local people were very suspicious, but their attitude has changed to appreciation of the reserve and its staff. Today the community extension program is working within eight nearby villages and consists of five parts: agroforestry, health and nutrition, gender and handcraft, environmental education and ecotourism.

Except for primary reforestation within the reserve, fruit trees and some hardwood are planted in the communities at schools and farms. These trees provide  vegetation which is more sustainable than other land uses, thus, creating buffer zones to the reserve. In addition the fruit improves the local diet, lacking certain important nutrients.

The mortality among young children is still high, so this issue is emphasized in the health education talks. Parents are taught first aid, oral rehydration and how to recognize different symptoms, in order to be able to judge whether it is time to leave for the hospital. Some representatives from each community have become “health promoters” receiving special training in e. g. early childcare, hygiene, first aid, how to apply pesticides in a safe way, family planning, about local medicine plants etc. The reserve also sponsors the provision of some medicines.

Coordinators at Bilsa decided to organize special meetings for the women in the communities. The aim is to teach them things that would make it possible for them to contribute to the household economy in the future such as sewing, hat breeding etc.

The environmental education is practically oriented and mostly directed towards the children. Besides planting in their schoolyards they are taught basic agroforestry. Regularly special environmental days are organized at the Bilsa station, where the students can play environmental games and set up small experiments.

Until today about thirty tourists have visited the reserve. Most of them come to watch birds such as the umbrella bird.Today the project is completely dependent on outside donors. This situation will however change when the fruit trees start producing a few years from now. 

Resúmen en español

Bilsa es una reserva biológica situada en el norte del Ecuador, que protege unas 2500 ha de bosque húmedo costal de lo que queda actualmente menos del uno porciento en el país. La composición de la flora y fauna es única y la reserva es internacionalmente conocida por su biodiversidad. Entre las especies presentes en Bilsa se encuentran el jaguar, el oso hormiguero gigante y el mono Aullador. Por lo menos 30 especies de plantas desconocidas por los científicos han sido descubiertas aquí y más de 300 especies de aves han sido observadas.

                      Unas 20 personas, ecuatorianos y extranjeros, trabajan actualmente en la reserva. Son ayudados por mas de cien voluntarios cada año. Familias procedentes de los pueblos cercanos visitan el centro con regularidad, para recibir plantas y aprender sobre ellas. El centro puede accomodar a unas 50 personas. Entre las facilidades tambien se encuentra un centro de recogida al visitante utilizado en la enseñanza, para conferencias etc. Para obtener algo de electricidad se han installado paneles solares.

                      Dos cosas hacen que este projecte sea único. Tienen uno de los programas de reforestación más ambiciosos del país; unos 85 000 árboles, incluendo 10 000 árboles fruteros, han sido plantados en la reserva. Tambien tienen un programa de extensión a las communidades que esta obteniendo mucho éxito. Al principio la gente de los alrededores estaban muy sospechosos de la reserva y de la gente que trabajada allí. Actualmente estan trabajando con 8 pueblos y el programa de extensión a las communidades consiste de cinco partes;  industria forestal  sostenible, salud y nutrición, género y manualidades, educación medioambiental y ecoturismo.

                      También se han plantado árboles madereros y fruteros en las escuelas y fincas de las communidades. Este uso de las tierras es más sustenible que otros usos alternativos y crean una zona de amortiguación alrededor de la reserva. Las frutas obtenidos  hacen que la dieta local que muchas veces carecen de nutrientes importantes sea mejorada.

                      La mortalidad de niños pequeños sigue siendo alta y por esta razon este grupo recibe especial atención en las charlas de salud. Los padres son enseñados los primeros ausilios, rehydratación oral y como reconocer differentes simptomas. Algunos representantes de cada communidad han atendido cursos más especializados de por ejemplo hygiene, primeros ausilios, planificación familiar etc. La reserva también ayuda a pagar algunas de las medicinas necesitadas.

                      Coordinadores de Bilsa decidieron organisar encuentros para las mujeres ya que estas tradicionalmente estan muy sometidas al hombre. El proposito es enseñarlas cosas que hagan possible para ellas ganar algo de dinero. Ejemplos de actividads que se realisan en estas reuniones son costura y la trenza de sombreros.

                      La educación medioambiental esta orientada hacia la práctica. Los niños no solo siembran árboles en la escuela y en las fincas si no que también reciben una educación básica de sivicultura. Con regularidad se organizan días enteros dedicados al medioambiente en Bilsa donde los alumnos juegan juegos didacticos con este tema y participan en pequeños experimentos.

                      Hasta esta fecha unos 30 turistas han visitado la reserva. La mayoria vienen a contemplar aves. Actualmente el projecto depende completamente de donativos llegados desde el exterior. Sin embargo esta situación va a cambiar cuando los árboles fruteros empiecen a llevar cargo dentro de unos años.

Sammanfattning på svenska

 

Bilsa är ett reservat i norra Ecuador, med 2500 ha submontan kustregnskog, varav mindre än 1 % återstår i landet. Dess flora och fauna är unik och området är internationellt känt för  sin biodiversitet. Flera sällsynta arter förekommer inom reservatet, såsom jaguar och stor myrslok. Åtminstone 30 växtarter har upptäckts i området och mer än 300 olika fågelarter har observerats, vilket är den högsta siffran längs hela den ecuadorianska kusten.

                      För tillfället arbetar ett 20-tal personer, både ecuadorianer och utlänningar, heltid med projektet och de får hjälp av mer än hundra volontärer per år. Stationen besöks dessutom regelbundet av familjer som bor i området. Dessa lär sig om växter och hämtar plantor. Det finns ca 50 övernattningsplatser och ett besökscentrum som används för undervisning, konferenser etc, med plats för 150 personer. Viss tillgång till elektricitet finns, tack vare solpaneler.

                      Två saker gör detta projekt så unikt. Man har ett av de mest ambitiösa programmen för plantering av skog i landet. Ungefär 85 000 träd, varav 10 000  fruktträd, har planterats ut inom reservatet. Dessutom bedrivs ett framgångsrikt integreringsarbete med de kringliggande samhällena. Från början var folket i byarna väldigt misstänksamma, men deras attityd har ändrats väsentligt. Idag samarbetar reservatet med åtta intilliggande byar med ett program bestående av följande fem delar: uthålligt skogsbruk, hälsa & nutrition, jämställdhet & hantverk, miljöutbildning och ekoturism.

                      Förutom återskogning inom reservatet, planteras fruktträd och en del ädelträ ut i byarna vid skolbyggnaderna och på gårdarna. Att plantera dessa träd är det mest uthålliga sättet att använda marken på samtidigt som man skapar buffertzoner till reservatet. Dessutom berikas den lokala dieten med frukt.

                      Barnadödligheten är fortfarande hög, så man fokuserar hälsoarbetet på denna åldersgrupp. Föräldrarna får lära sig första hjälpen, oral vätskeersättning och hur man känner igen vissa symptom, för att lättare kunna avgöra när det verkligen är dags att uppsöka sjukhuset. Några representanter från varje by har dessutom utbildats ytterligare i bl a vård av barn i småbarnsåldern, hygien, första hjälpen, hur man använder pesticider på ett säkert sätt, familjeplanering, kännedom om lokala medicinalväxter etc. Reservatet subventionerar dessutom en del mediciner.

                      Speciella möten för kvinnor har organiserats i byarna. Målet med dessa möten är att ge kvinnorna kunskaper  som gör det möjligt för dem att bidra till hushållets ekonomi i framtiden och samtidigt bevara de hantverkstraditioner som håller på att gå förlorade då familjerna har brutit upp från sina tidigare hemtrakter. Man lär sig t ex att sy och fläta hattar av bananfibrer.   

Den praktiskt orienterade miljöutbildningen är främst riktad till barnen. Förutom att plantera på skolgårdarna lär de sig grundläggande metoder för ett uthålligt skogsbruk. Särskilda miljödagar anordnas regelbundet vid fältstationen, där eleverna får leka lekar med temat miljö och  vara med och utföra experiment.  Hittills har ca 30 turister, de flesta fågelskådare, besökt reservatet. 

                      Idag är projektet helt beroende av bidrag utifrån. Denna situation kommer att ändras då reservatets egna fruktträd börjar producera frukt inom några år.

 

Contents

Ecuador             

One of the lodges at the Bilsa field station.

Ecuador

 

Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean countries, in the north west of South America. Its territory is divided into three main natural regions. To the west, boarding the Pacific Ocean, there is a vast zone with tropical lowland. A mountainous region (the Andes) crosses the central part, from the north to the south. This is where the capital Quito is located. Finally, the eastern part of the country, called Oriente, is covered by parts of the Amazon rain forest.

In 1990, Ecuador had a population of about 10 million. The rate of illiteracy continues to be high, about 10 %, with substantial differences between the urban and rural sectors [1] . Less than 6% of the annual budget goes to the public health sector, which is reflected in the standard of the health service, especially in the countryside. The major cause of death is infectious diseases and the worst threats for children under five are diarrhea and respiratory diseases.

The principal structural elements that characterize the evolution of the Ecuadorian economy are a declining economical growth, a very unequal distribution of incomes, a persistent inflation, and a vulnerable export sector due to a fragile composition of its exports and the fact that its imports mainly consists of capital products and raw materials. [2]

Several ecosystems, including the humid rainforests in the north of the country, the mangrove and the tropical vegetation in the Oriente have been the objects of an indiscriminate destruction due to the expanding agricultural frontier, the introduction of new plants and animals, shrimp cultures and installation of oil and timber industries. Many species of animals and plants are seriously threatened due to the disappearance of their natural habitats and the extensive contamination of waters due to oil spills and agroindustrial waste. According to Norman Myers and several authorities, the western forests of Ecuador are one of the three most important biological areas to conserve in the world, due its rich biodiversity.    

The Esmeraldas region

The province of Esmeraldas is situated in the north west corner of the country, boarding Colombia. The area of Mache Chindul, of which Bilsa is part, contains the last 1 % (corresponding to about 50 000 ha) of primary coastal rainforest in the country. After a large international campaign, Mache Chindul was declared to be a reserve in 1996. Unfortunately, the government does not have the resources to control the area, and according to people working at the Bilsa reserve, the timber companies have been logging in the Mache Chindul even after this declaration.

Due to the extreme weather conditions during the ”el niño” (1997-1998), the roads in Mache Chindul (constructed by the timber companies) are largely destroyed by heavy rains. This protects the land from intrusion by the companies. However, as soon as the weather gets dryer, the pressure on the land will increase again. If no further action is taken, within ten years the Bilsa reserve will most likely be the only forest left in northeastern Esmeraldas, and the only primary coastal forest in the country.

The Esmeraldas region is the worst malaria area in Ecuador. The ”el niño” weather phenomenon increases the rates of this disease as well as Dengue fever, Lechmaniasis and other parasite diseases, due to e. g. deterioration of the sanitation systems and infrastructure.

Bilsa reserve

 

Today, the Bilsa reserve today protects about 3000 ha of rainforest. The primary forest has a high degree of endemism. Rare species found within the reserve include the jaguar, several small cat species, the giant anteater, the long-wattled umbrella bird and abundant populations of the threatened mantled howler monkey. More than 300 different bird species have been observed, which is the highest number at any coastal site in Ecuador. At least 30 plant species new to science have been uncovered at Bilsa.

About 80 % of the land in Bilsa are primary (virgin) forest and 20 % cultivated land. Since the third year of the project, one aim is to replant the cultivated area with local tree species, including different fruit trees. By now this is probably one of the most ambitious reforestation projects in the country; 100 000 plants have already been planted in Bilsa.

Soon after the foundation in 1994, the coordinators realized that colonizers, who had been living there for 3 to 5 years, inhabited the Bilsa reserve. The coordinators were considered to be rich landowners, eager to ”get these poor people out”. This attitude was reinforced by rumors told by the logging companies operating in the area. At this point it was realized that cooperation and integration with the local communities was crucial for the success of the project. This was not an easy task since the families in the communities recently moved in and were not used to working together.

The Jatun Sacha foundation then bought the land from the locals but took into consideration the work that had been invested. In order to get the local people to accept Bilsa, an Ecuadorian administrator was hired to inform them about the project. Since 1997 half of the staff at Bilsa is Ecuadorian.

Today the people at Bilsa have a very ambitious and broad cooperation program with eight nearby villages. The communities are visited once a month, even in the rainy season, when the journey can be described as extremely rough, taking between 4-8 hours of walking in deep mud. In a very short time, the attitude of the local people has changed radically from suspicion to appreciation of the reserve and the people working there, which must be seen as a great achievement. In addition, the community members have become more united. Today, the social activities arranged by the coordinators are of great importance to the inhabitants of the eight villages.

Facilities and staff

 

When arriving at the Bilsa reserve, you first reach the main building, a wooden house in traditional style, built to resist the frequent, heavy rainfalls. At ground floor is the kitchen and a large, open  ”visitor’s center” used for dining, conferences, teaching etc. On the second floor are bedrooms for staff, visitors, researchers and volunteers. There are two showers, utilizing rainwater collected in large tanks on the roof. Solar energy is used to produce electricity for evening lighting. Close to the main building, there are two other, smaller, buildings. One of these has an open second floor, used for bird watching etc. In total, the buildings can lodge about 50 persons at a time, and the visitor’s center about 150 attendants. Plans for the future are amongst others to build a small library.

About 20 persons, having different geographical, ethnical and educational backgrounds, are working full time at Bilsa. About 10 of these are park guards; the rest are working as project leaders, in house building etc. Half of the staff is Ecuadorians. Each year, there are about 120 visitors, including volunteers and tourists. In addition, about one community family each week visits the station to learn about the trees, receive plants or seeds etc. The number of volunteers is increasing steadily. On average 7-8 volunteers arrive each month, but in February 1998 there were more than 20 volunteers at the same time. Most volunteers stay for one month, and their work is very important especially in the agroforestry project. During our stay we had long and interesting discussions with researchers and volunteers, many of whom studied environmental science in their home countries. Most of them found the lodging facilities to be good. The community extension program and the special flora and fauna were of concern for choosing to go to Bilsa to work. The majority of the volunteers come from Germany, the USA, Ecuador and Denmark. There are also two Peace Corps volunteers working during longer periods (about two years) with medical issues and agriculture. The fees paid by the volunteers cover the costs for food and kitchen staff. The people working at the reserve also pay for their own food.

The Bilsa extension program

 

The  ambition is to integrate the reserve with the nearby communities as much as possible. To achieve this, the Bilsa extension program consists of five parts:

·       Agroforestry

·      Health and Nutrition

·        Gender and Handcraft

·        Environmental Education

·       Ecotourism

 

Agroforestry project

 

A plant school, for both inner and outer production, has been established. The inner production aims at primary reforestation and producing fruits for the own kitchen, which for the time being depends on outside resources. 

The primary reforestation project is performed by cutting lines through secondary forests (degraded areas) and planting primary, native species. Primary forest species typically grow slower than secondary species, but in this way you may enhance the rate of biological succession. So far approximately 85 000 trees, including 10 000 fruit trees, have been planted at degraded sites within the reserve. In the future, the fruit production will probably generate considerable income to the reserve.

The outer production serves two important functions; buffer zone management and to establish a good relationship with the surrounding communities, since the plantation of e. g. fruit trees is beneficial to enhance the nutritional value of the otherwise poor diet. The number of trees planted in the communities is about 40 000, and about 100 family nurseries have been established. This project has been appreciated by the communities and changed their attitudes towards the Bilsa reserve.

The first step of production consists of planting seeds in raise beds. The beds are raised from the ground to diminish risks of rotting due to the high humidity. For reforestation purposes seeds are taken from native species, mainly hardwood. Both native and non-native fruit trees (as well as some native hardwood) are used for buffer zone management and production. Seeds are collected within the Bilsa reserve or bought from a nearby reserve. When the seeds have germinated, they are removed from the raise beds to bags with a soil-sawdust-mixture. Where an excess of suitable seedlings are found naturally inside the primary forest, these are used as well and transferred to soil bags. Since the plant school is located in a former pasture, and the soil is degraded into pure mud, high quality soil is transported from another site. The plants are left for growth during 2-3 months before they are planted.

The more degraded the soil, the harder it is to have a successful plantation. The plants may tolerate a poor soil, but they may grow very slowly. First, plantation was done bare-root, but since the success was only 35%, they are now planting with the soil in the bags, and are having much greater success. In addition, using naturally fertilizing plants (nitrogen-fixers) such as beans and Inga-trees may provide some help. One suitable Inga tree is called ”guaba”, which also produces edible fruits. When these plants drop their leaves or die, the soil is improved (enriched with nitrogen). Synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are not used at the plant school - it is totally organic. This is usually the case at the farms in the communities as well. Although the production maybe would increase by the use of fertilizers, these are too expensive to buy or transport. And this cost could increase with time since the plants may start to require more. The reserve is also trying to propagate for the ”green manure” instead of synthetic fertilizers.

 

Part of the plant school and solar panels.

 

The normal diet in the communities is rich in carbohydrates (mainly rice, plantain and yucca), but often lack vitamins and protein. Most of the families have colonized the area and moved from e. g. Manabi or Los Rios. Thus they do not know what forest products are useful, except for the hardwood species, since these can be sold to the logging companies. In order to increase the nutritional value of the local diet, fruit trees are provided by the reserve. Other benefits to the community from these trees are firewood and construction material. The leaf drops from the trees also provide soil improvement and protects the soil from direct exposure to heavy rains etc.

The reserve also tries to convince the land owners to plant hard wood (especially native species) as well, although this project is harder to get through, since most of the local people intend to stay less than ten years. However, some farmers have expressed an interest in laurel and other fast growing hard wood species, which can be harvested within 10 years.

Raise beds have been placed in the communities, close to the school buildings. The sites were chosen for maximum exposure of the project, since the schools are the centers of the communities (they are built by the community members) used not only for education but also for celebrations and meetings. The farms are very isolated from each other; the school buildings are what keep the communities together. The community raise beds were planted with seeds together with several of the community members, them being interested in learning the process. An ongoing project is working with reforestation around the schools, using fruit trees. One hectare or more has been planted at certain sites. These will hopefully start producing fruits within 5-6 years. The fruits will then become an important supplement to the children’s diet.

Both native and non-native species have been used for buffer zone management, i. e. for plantation at farms and schools. Some of the non-native species have great benefits for the local people, such as the marete, a palm tree from the Oriente that grows well even in poor soils. It takes about 8 years before it starts producing fruits, but these have a very high vitamin A and protein content. And since the options are less sustainable plants, such as rice or corn on these soils, productive fruit trees are preferred by the reserve. It is thought of as buffer zone management, since the farmer does not have to cut down virgin forest within a couple of years to plant new crops, which is the case with rice and corn. Fruit trees are far more sustainable and have much greater benefits to the ecosystem, such as fruits for the wildlife, in addition to the benefits for humans. Furthermore, the fruit trees are bought from a reserve that has been using them for over 20 years, without seeing any dispersal to the surrounding primary forests. The non-native species used are typically e. g. adapted to more light than what can be found inside a primary forest. In conclusion: the non-native, highly productive, fruit trees constitute a far less threat to the virgin forest than the loggers, the cattle or the farmers planting rice.

About twice a year, two members from each community are brought to the nearby reserve from which some of the seeds are bought. This constitutes an excellent model example of an integrated farm: with leguminous ground cover, cacao, fruit trees in production, composting etc. They are taught how to prepare the products from the fruit trees, grafting etc. At the Bilsa reserve, the community members are shown how to maintain the raise beds. The process is not very complicated: weeding every two weeks, planting, the spacing needed for each tree etc. The family raise beds are working much better than the community raise beds, since one feels much more interest in and responsibility for the own raise bed. This is not to say that the community raise beds have had no purpose: these were started with a high degree of interest and indeed the seeds are growing, which has deepened the interest for a family raise-bed.

Each community is visited every month, and for each visit, two farms are planted with ½-1 ha of the chosen trees. The distribution of plants (either brought to the communities during the visits or handed out when the locals visit the Bilsa reserve) is a way for Bilsa to create buffer zones and to integrate the reserve in the local communities. A friendly and protective attitude among the people living close to the Bilsa reserve is created.

In conclusion, the agroforestry project fulfills three crucial tasks:

· Primary reforestation

· Production lines (of fruit trees etc)

· Buffer zone management

Health and Nutrition

 

Since January 1997, a medical Peace Corps volunteer works half time at the Bilsa reserve, focusing on health education. The other half, he spends at the hospital in the closest town, Quinindé. Thus he is a link between the hospital and Bilsa, which is very important for the program to work. Each of the eight communities, which the organizers are cooperating with, are visited monthly to give talks about first aid issues and children’s diseases.

 

Health education

The mortality among children under five is still rather high in Ecuador (1.5 % [3] ). The number one and two causes of death are respiratory diseases and diarrhea. So the parents are taught how to recognize the symptoms of e. g. dehydration and pneumonia, how diarrhea diseases are transmitted and how to prepare rehydration drinks. Due to the bad conditions of the road (especially during the rainy season), and the poor economy of the families, it is a hard decision whether or not it is time to leave for the hospital in Quinindé. It takes up to two days to transport the ill person to the hospital. The first part has to be done by foot, since not even a jeep is able to drive through the mud. There is another health center closer to Bilsa, but the doctor is there about once a week. Private alternatives are also available, but most people cannot afford to go there. For serious cases it may be necessary to go to Quito for treatment, which of course constitutes yet a heavier burden on the family’s economy. To be able to pay in these situations, pigs or chickens are often have to be sold at the market in town. 

The education given is usually interactive, including the use of posters and simple demonstrations. The symptoms of dehydration are e. g. demonstrated by using a plastic bag filled with water and painting a baby on it. Normally there are just two small holes for the eyes, showing the baby crying. To demonstrate the effects of severe diarrhea, a larger hole is made on the back of the bag, so that most of the water runs out, showing that the eyes are drying and the skin goes back slowly after pinching etc.

In April 1997, a conference was held at the station, which was attended by 150 people, including representatives from the communities. The concept of health promoters was introduced and the communities were asked to elect some candidates for special training, including early childcare, first aid, how to apply pesticides in a safe way, family planning and knowledge about local medicinal plants. In the summer of 1998, a more advanced course for the health promoters is planned in Quinindé, since it is hard to convince the hospital staff to go out to Bilsa during the rainy season. 

Medical brigades, doctors, dentists and nurses, were brought to Bilsa in August, for vaccinations, doctoral consultations etc. A special ”el niño” talk was held in September, as well as a three-day workshop on family planning. Another peace-corps volunteer was brought in to give lectures on family planning, how to use contraceptives, reproductive anatomy and health. The workshop was followed by sexual education in October.

Many families boil their water before use, but another important source of infections for the children is their play among the domestic animals, which run freely. The importance of e. g. washing hands before eating is emphasized, and de-worming medicines are sold at a very low cost, sponsored by the hospital and the reserve. It is very important, especially for the young children, to get rid of the worms, since these are accentuating the malnutrition, lowering the function of the immune system and making them more susceptible to other infections.

The talks are often followed by a more practical part where the women are shown how to prepare local vegetables, fruits and leaves with high contents of vitamins, iron etc. Recipes are often exchanged at these meetings and thereby reach other communities.

Gender and Handcraft

 

Traditionally, women in Ecuador, especially in the countryside, are married at a young age; 15 years old brides and mothers of an even younger age are not uncommon. After marrying they dedicate themselves to an often large family. In this way, many of these women do not learn much besides childcare, cooking and cleaning; becoming economically completely dependent on their husbands.

The coordinators at Bilsa thus decided to organize meetings especially for women in the communities. The aim is to teach things that would make it possible for these women to contribute to the household economy in the future and also to avoid loosing the handcraft skills, that these women traditionally have. By this means, the women also gain a bit of confidence.

When asked, the women in the eight communities said that they wanted to learn sewing. In this way they would both be able to make clothes for the own family and earn some money sewing for other families. During these meetings they also breed hats and make other things from natural materials, such as banana fibers, which they sell. The women project has recently started, but the women are very enthusiastic about the idea of learning new things and most of them have attended the meetings. All materials used are paid for by the foundation and especially the sewing program needs more funds.

Plans for the future are to start a jam factory with a group of women from each village. This would help them to earn some money and at the same time give them a sense of community.

 

Women learning how to sew

Environmental education

Recently, an environmental education program has been developed by two of the coordinators together with international volunteers. This rather practically oriented program is now successfully taking place at the schools in all eight communities. Besides these activities, the children are also taught basic agroforestry while helping to plant trees. Regularly, environmental days are held at the Bilsa station, where the students can play environmental games and set up small experiments.

Ecotourism

 

About 30 tourists have so far visited the reserve. The majority to watch birds, such as the long-wattled umbrella bird. This species is easy to spot here, which is not the case elsewhere. There are trails of different degrees of difficulty and it is possible to climb about 20 meters on a ladder (using climbing safety equipment!) to reach a small tree house. Except for the visiting tourists, volunteers are also using the trails on their days off.

The future in Bilsa

 

In a very short time, the Bilsa reserve has succeeded in integrating biological conservation with local communities, in an area under the heavy pressures of poverty. There are many important aspects of the extension program in the communities and many needs are filled that would otherwise not have been accounted for. The program is continuously expanding, and it is crucial for the future work. According to our interviews in the communities, the locals considered the conservation of the rainforest to be very important. They were aware of several benefits from an intact forest, such as firewood, construction material, fruits, hunting, fishing and even climate regulation. It was also clear to them that the logging companies are responsible for major environmental destruction. Most of them consider that both Ecuadorians and foreigners should work together to preserve the rainforests. This knowledge is a prerequisite for their support of the reserve, withstanding the logging companies’ offers – and demands. There have to be enough benefits from the reserve to compete with the companies.

There is a great need to secure more land, before the Bilsa reserve will constitute just a small island of primary forest, since what is left outside the reserve is greatly threatened by loggers and settlers. The goal is to expand the reserve to at least 4000 ha, in order to protect large enough areas for certain species to survive, such as the jaguar.

One tough issue to deal with is the road. As long as a better road also means that new settlers and the timber companies easier get access to the forests, this is not supported by the foundation, although a better road would help a lot in the daily life of the people, including farmers and staff at the reserve.

The project is still new and needs substantial funding. This situation, where help is needed from outside, is thought to change radically as soon as the fruit trees start to produce their first crops within a few years.