Reserva Los Cedros

Why Conduct Research at Los Cedros?

The Administration of the Los Cedros Biological Reserve welcomes researchers and conser­va­tion­ists to a virtu­ally unex­plored and uncat­a­logued area of the Neotropics.

Say goodbye to camping mats, tinned beans and bathing in cold rivers! The Los Cedros facil­i­ties include very good sleeping and work facil­i­ties, hot showers and three meals a day. We realize that the reserve is a remote loca­tion and will do our best to accom­mo­date any reason­able concern. Special space is avail­able for humidity sensi­tive equipment.

As well as manage­ment support, research teams can also expect to have the enthu­si­astic efforts of the volun­teers to assist with their project work. In fact, assisting with scien­tific research is why many people apply to become volun­teers at Los Cedros in the first place.

Los Cedros has a very open philos­ophy and will consider any reason­able research project proposal. If you have any ques­tions, then simply contact the reserve.

The Importance of Research at Los Cedros

Located in North-Western Ecuador in the recently less than contiguous Southern Choco zone, this rapidly disap­pearing bios­phere is consid­ered by some to be a Pleistocene refuge area. From the Los Cedros facil­i­ties scien­tists have rapid access to several forest ecosys­tems both above and below premon­tane wet forest.

Unfortunately this area is highly endan­gered and little if any public outcry or profes­sional conser­va­tionist effort has prevented the parcelling up of this rich biolog­ical resource for the benefit of agroin­dus­tri­al­ized mono­cul­ture and lumber compa­nies. These compa­nies are supplying the Japanese chip board industry from one of the most diverse forest resources that has existed on the planet. A recent World Bank-financed thematic mapping program has slated the entire Cotacachi/Cayapas Ecological Reserve for future mining exploration.

Only a concerted effort to cate­go­rize and define this ecolog­ical trea­sure can call the atten­tion of the Government to it’s true wealth and stop the tragedy of exploiting its resource base to pay back its ill-considered external debt.

The Los Cedros project is desig­nated a Bosque Protector under Ecuadorian envi­ron­mental legis­la­tion and is owned by an Ecuadorian foun­da­tion known as Centro de Investigaciones del los Bosques Tropicales, CIBT.

Since the foun­da­tion of the Los Cedros Reserve the prin­cipal objec­tive of this project has been to stim­u­late research and commu­nity partic­i­pa­tion in the conser­va­tion of this area. It should be added that complete commu­nity super­vi­sion of the project is the even­tual goal. In the interval it is consid­ered a priority that research be conducted into the biolog­ical systems that comprise the local bios­phere in order to cata­logue possible resources in advance of any bioprospecting efforts. In this manner it is possible to register the future income gener­ating poten­tial of resources and to build a case for the conser­va­tion priority before increasing pres­sure from national and inter­na­tional mining, logging and agroin­dus­trial interests.

Conditions for Research Projects

All scien­tific projects will be welcome when the following crite­rion have been met:

1. The reserve, through the offices of the Centro de Investigaciones de los Bosques Tropicales, CIBT, will assist any project in obtaining the neces­sary permits from the respec­tive author­i­ties for the expor­ta­tion of scien­tific samples for the purpose of taxo­nomic iden­ti­fi­ca­tion. This is a routine proce­dure and is the only control of biopiracy. The expor­ta­tion of any substance of plant or animal origin for any other reason must be specif­i­cally autho­rized by the govern­ment of Ecuador.
2. All researchers should be accom­pa­nied by Ecuadorian field assis­tants of univer­sity level and share the results of their endeav­ours with the respec­tive scien­tific depart­ments of insti­tu­tions of higher educa­tion. The Los Cedros Reserve will provide food and lodging for any Ecuadorian partic­i­pants in any field research at or below cost.

The Los Cedros Reserve will provide food and lodging for any Ecuadorian partic­i­pants in any field research at or below cost.

Researchers are also welcomed to the Los Cedros facil­i­ties by special prices that include very good sleeping and work facil­i­ties, hot showers and three meals a day. For those projects that spend more than two weeks at Los Cedros no addi­tional charge will be made for trans­porta­tion. We realize that the reserve is a remote loca­tion and will do our best to accom­mo­date any reason­able concern. Special space is avail­able for humidity sensi­tive equipment.

Previous Research: PRIMENET

Los Cedros Biological Reserve’s most promi­nent recent research activity was the Darwin Initiative PRIMENET Project.

From the PRIMENET website:

“The aim of the Darwin Initiative PRIMENET project is to develop a compre­hen­sive strategy for the crit­i­cally endan­gered Brown-Headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusci­ceps), vulner­able primates and habi­tats in NW Ecuador based on a programme of moni­toring, educa­tion and sustain­able liveli­hoods within local communities.

The project is funded by the UK govern­ment through the Darwin Initiative (DEFRA) and coör­di­nated by the University of Sussex (UK) with core Ecuadorian part­ners ‘Ecuador Terra Incognita’,‘Corporacion Botanica Ecuadendron’ and the ‘Los Cedros Biological Reserve’. The part­ners will develop the Darwin Initiative PRIMENET para­bi­ol­o­gist training and research centre at the Los Cedros Biological Reserve with the ability to train indige­nous and rural commu­ni­ties and conser­va­tion profes­sionals in prac­tical field skills for primate moni­toring and habitat assessment.”

PRIMENET research continues at the reserve, from time to time.

Applying

If you are looking to conduct research in an envi­ron­ment like Los Cedros, then we want to hear about your plans! Please contact the reserve with some basic infor­ma­tion about your­self and your project and we will get back to you soon, usually within a couple of days. Useful info for us is your name, univer­sity or insti­tu­tion, specialist subjects, poten­tial research project details, when you would want to come and how long you would need to stay. A short email is usually suffi­cient in the first instance. We can also answer any addi­tional ques­tions you have about the area and our facilities.

Fees

Researchers and students working on pre-arranged projects:

$35/night

Price is in US dollars. Fees include all accom­mo­da­tion, bedding and food. Vegetarian cooking is avail­able. Food is plen­tiful and good.

Mule trans­port can be provided for bringing you and your gear up the moun­tain to the reserve.

Los Cedros is a non-profit reserve. All fees go to main­te­nance, staff wages, and the devel­op­ment of projects which are part of the reserve’s goals of conser­va­tion and education.