Western Andes Reserve, La Hesperia, is a nature reserve located in the western range of the Andes at an altitude of 1100 – 2040 meters above sea level. With an area of 814 hectares, it is located in the center of the Rio Toachi-Chiriboga IBA (Important Bird Area, declared by Bird Life International and Conservation International) and it is part of two important bioregions:

The Tropical Andes and the Choco Darien – Western Ecuador, considered within the top five biodiversity hotspots on earth. The station works in natural conservation, combating deforestation, protecting existing forest, restoring degraded areas and searching for sustainable activities that enable us to support the reserve and to offer a better way of life for the local community as well as those who work and live at the reserve.

Objectives:
• Development of a working biological station and a permaculture model in middle elevation forests (1100-2040 m elevation) along the western flank of the Andes
• Conservation of existing forest
• Work toward sustainable development
• Restoring degraded areas within and the reserve and the surrounding areas
• Environmental education
• Research

Projects and activities:
The station works in natural conservation, combating deforestation, protecting existing forest, restoring degraded areas and searching for sustainable activities that enable us to support the reserve and to offer a better way of life for the local community as well as those who work and live at the reserve. For more info: www.lahesperia.org

• Click here to volunteer in La Hesperia