The reserves of Río Anzu and Río Zúñac lie in the foothills of Ecuador’s eastern Andes. Described by Fundación EcoMinga President Lou Jost as an “evolutionary island”, the high-elevation cloud forest found here is a place where unique life can thrive.
Frogs, toads, orchids and magnolias are just some of the species discovered at Anzu and Zúñac over the last two decades. The wider area – the upper Río Pastaza watershed – has yielded nearly 100 new species, almost all of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
This watershed is a place of extraordinary biodiversity, roughly half the size of London yet home to more endemic plants than the Galapagos Islands. Oil, timber and agriculture industries are now threatening to tear apart these forests, pushing wildlife to the brink of extinction – but with your help, we know we can bring these species back from the edge.
By donating to Life on the Edge, you can help EcoMinga to expand Río Anzu and Río Zúñac, doubling the amount of land currently protected by the two reserves and handing a vital lifeline to an array of at-risk species, from Black-and-chestnut Eagles and Military Macaws to Mountain Tapirs and Spectacled Bears.
This year, for the very first time, every donation made to our Life on the Edge appeal during Big Match Fortnight (12-26 October 2022) will be matched to triple its gift value, turning a £20 donation into a £60 contribution to the appeal!
You now have the chance to have a greater impact for nature than ever before, at no extra cost to yourself.
Let’s save one of the most biodiverse places on the planet – together!
