Conservation — La Hesperia Cloud Forest Reserve

Location & Significance

At the Heart of the Tropical Andes

La Hesperia lies within the Toachi-Chiriboga Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), nestled within the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot — the single most ecologically critical region on Earth for plants, birds, and amphibians.

The reserve sits directly in this highly biodiverse zone, spanning an altitudinal range from 1,100 to 2,040 meters above sea level. Within this 940-meter span, La Hesperia encompasses three distinct ecosystem types: pre-montane evergreen forest, and low and high tropical montane cloud forests. Temperatures here oscillate between 16 and 30°C, paired with 2,000 to 3,000 mm of annual rainfall — conditions that sustain persistent cloud cover and exceptional biological richness.

Biodiversity

What We Protect

298

Bird Species

La Hesperia is part of the Río Toachi-Chiriboga Important Bird Area, an important refuge within the Chocó-Andean corridor. So far, 298 bird species have been recorded here, including Chocó endemics, migratory species, and others that depend on intact cloud forest.

Some of the most notable species include the Plate-billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena laminirostris), Wattled Guan (Aburria aburri), Dark-backed Wood Quail (Odontophorus melanonotus), and Chocó Toucan (Ramphastos brevis).

As monitoring continues over time, the number of recorded species is expected to keep growing.

Read more ↓Show less ↑

Mammal Species

Through camera traps and long-term field surveys, 44 mammal species have been recorded at La Hesperia. This includes large mammals and predators that depend on wide, intact forest areas like the ones found here.

Some key species include the Ecuadorian Capuchin (Cebus aequatorialis), listed as Critically Endangered (CR), the Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), listed as Vulnerable (VU), as well as the Puma (Puma concolor) and the Clouded Tiger Cat (Leopardus pardinoides), also Vulnerable (VU).

These records highlight the role of the reserve as an important corridor for species that rely on continuous forest. La Hesperia is part of the Puma Biological Corridor, a regional initiative to maintain ecological connectivity across the western Andes — allowing species like the puma, Andean bear, and Ecuadorian capuchin monkey to move between forest fragments.

Read more ↓Show less ↑

2,000+

Plant Species

La Hesperia's plant diversity is shaped by its wide altitudinal range, from 1,100 to 2,040 meters, along with constant humidity.

The forests, both primary and secondary, are rich in epiphytes such as orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and mosses. These plants add to the vertical structure of the forest and play an important role in supporting many other forms of life.

Some of the tree species that define this landscape include tangaré (Carapa guianensis) and colorado (Guarea kunthiana), which are key elements of the cloud forest ecosystem.

Read more ↓Show less ↑

Butterfly Genera

Surveys at La Hesperia have recorded 63 butterfly genera, reflecting the high plant diversity and structural complexity of the cloud forest. Butterflies play an important role as pollinators and are also useful indicators of ecosystem health.

Notable species include Morpho peleides, Heliconius sapho, Elzunia pavonii, and Eurytides columbus.

Together, these records offer valuable insight into habitat quality across the different elevations found within the reserve.

Read more ↓Show less ↑

Herpetofauna Species

Ongoing surveys have recorded 50 species of herpetofauna at La Hesperia, a group known for its high levels of endemism and sensitivity to changes in habitat. Their presence is a strong indicator of the health of the ecosystem.

This includes a wide range of Pristimantis species and glass frogs (Centrolenidae), as well as reptiles like O'Shaughnessy's dwarf iguana (Enyalioides oshaughnessyi) and the Ecuadorian anole (Anolis aequatorialis).

These records reflect the diversity of microhabitats within the reserve, from mature forest to riparian areas, and the species that depend on them.

Read more ↓Show less ↑

Notable Species

Species of Exceptional Significance

High Conservation Priority · Recorded at La Hesperia

Clouded Tiger Cat
Leopardus pardinoides

Recognized as a distinct species by science in 2024 — one of the most significant small cat discoveries in recent decades. Associated with Andean cloud forests and currently under conservation status reassessment. Its presence at La Hesperia has been confirmed through camera trap monitoring, which has been running continuously for over three years. Its continued existence here depends on large areas of intact cloud forest — exactly what La Hesperia has been protecting since 1971.

Ecuadorian capuchin monkey captured by camera trap at La Hesperia

Critically Endangered · Active Research Site

Ecuadorian Capuchin Monkey
Cebus aequatorialis

Endemic to western Ecuador and Critically Endangered, the Ecuadorian capuchin has disappeared from large parts of its former range. At La Hesperia, at least four distinct social groups have been documented and individual monkeys identified — a level of observation that is ecologically exceptional at a regional scale. In collaboration with the University of Girona and Fundación Tangaré, research conducted here led to the publication of a scientific paper on behavioral contagion in wild capuchins (Hannaoui et al., 2026, American Journal of Primatology), with findings also presented at the 16th Ibero-American Congress of Ethology and Evolutionary Ecology in Seville. Their regular presence here is a direct consequence of over 50 years of uninterrupted forest protection.

Wildlife documented through years of camera trap monitoring and field research at La Hesperia.

What We Do

Active Conservation Work

Protecting land is the beginning, not the end. La Hesperia maintains an active program of monitoring, research, habitat restoration, and education — the daily work that keeps the ecosystem healthy and expanding.

Holistic Land Management & Sustainable Farm Integration

Our farming practices are guided by Holistic Management, adapted to the specific conditions of our cloud forest environment. The farm is part of the conservation model — not separate from it. Planned grazing, organic practices, agroforestry, and soil health monitoring create a productive buffer zone that strengthens the land while supporting forest protection.

Wildlife Monitoring & Camera Trapping

Systematic monitoring of mammals, birds, and other species using camera traps, point counts, and field surveys — with a focus on primates and medium and large mammals. Priority species include the Ecuadorian capuchin monkey, Andean bear, puma, collared peccary, and tayra. Long-term datasets document population trends, species interactions, and habitat use across the reserve.

Habitat Restoration & Reforestation

Restoration of degraded areas at the forest edge, propagation of native species in our nursery, and reforestation that expands the forest buffer zone. Adding forest, not just protecting what exists.

Scientific Research & Data Collection

La Hesperia hosts researchers and interns from universities worldwide. All data collected on the reserve contributes to regional and global understanding of cloud forest ecology, climate change impacts, and species distribution.

Environmental Education

Programs for local schools and communities that build awareness, connection, and knowledge of the ecosystem. Conservation that only happens inside reserve boundaries is conservation with a time limit — education extends it outward.

Trail Maintenance

Careful management of trail networks that allow access for research, education, and programs without causing habitat disturbance. Maintaining the boundary between human use and undisturbed forest.

Sustaining the Reserve

Conservation Is a Shared Responsibility

La Hesperia aims to be as self-sustaining as possible — through our programs and the working farm. This model is what has allowed us to protect 700 hectares of reserve for over 50 years, and it is what we continue to build on.

But conservation at this depth — active wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, long-term research partnerships, community education — requires more than what a self-funded reserve can do alone. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to what this place has become. If this work matters to you, there are many ways to be part of it: joining a program, volunteering, or making a donation.

Support Conservation

Help protect 700 hectares of cloud forest

Donations support reforestation, wildlife monitoring, and the long-term research programs operating within the reserve. All contributions are managed by Fundación Tangaré, La Hesperia's registered conservation partner — ensuring full transparency and accountability.

Donate via PayPal Learn about Fundación Tangaré →

Kept Alive
on Purpose

At the Heart of the Tropical Andes

What We Protect