Project Yawa Jee, Ecuador

This natural preserve and faunistic conservation area encompasses more than four hundred hectares of rainforests. Bordered by the Pastaza river, the property includes primary and secondary growth rainforest. Diverse in micro-ecosystems, this preserve also contains wetlands, tropical savannas and seasonal floodforests. Facilities include reasearcher housing, a medicinal plant cultivation area, a camping area, a canoe access port and nature trails. An insectarium and aquaculture ponds are being developed. Expansion plans are to acquire adjacent properties to expand the present preserve. It is the goal of Yawa Jee Indigenous Foundation to eventually replicate its success in other Shuar communities in the Pastaza Province.

Foundacion Yawa Jee, founded in 1992, was incorporated as a Nonprofit Indigenous Foundation under the Ecuadorian legal code in 1993. It is administered by the Indigenous Community of Shuars in Comunidad Santana and was first supported by the Tropical Rainforest Coalition in December 1992. Financial support comes from private donations, preserve entry fees, ecotourism and a consortium of European organizations and clubs.

Objectives:

• To preserve flora and fauna indigenous to this region of Pastaza Province. Selective re-introduction of small mammal species into this protected area is now in progress.

• To collect and cultivate traditional medicinal plants, catalog and document their uses and to research their applicability as a pharmaceutical.

• To provide environmental awareness and education for Shuar and non-Shuar children regarding rainforests and the Shuar culture.

• To create a facility and location where primary rainforest research may be conducted.

Location:

Puerto Santana, Pastaza Province, Ecuador. Located forty two miles southeast of Puyo. Accessible by four-wheel drive vehicle or river transportation.