5 Year Anniversary of the FCAT Reserve In 2018, a dream became a reality at FCAT – to create a reserve and field station dedicated to conservation, education, and research in the Chocó rainforests of Ecuador. This wasn’t just a construction project; it was a labor of love and determination. Our team, braving challenging conditions, …
Summer is heating up at FCAT! Read below for exciting updates about our youth empowerment and education program, reforestation, regenerative agriculture, science, and more. Club Nueva Generación Club Nueva Generación, our environmental club that empowers local youth to become the next generation of conservation leaders, is approaching its one-year anniversary! Club meetings have involved engaging …
The past few years have brought many significant changes for FCAT – and 2022 was no exception. As we are solidly rounding the corner into 2023, we are proud to reflect on FCAT’s accomplishments and successes in 2022. Thank you for all of your support, in all of its forms, that helped make this possible. …
FCAT researchers have recently found a new population of the Bilsa white-chested frog (Leucosthethus bilsa)– an IUCN Critically Endangered species, whose previously known range was limited to a small 6 km2 area within the Bilsa Biological Reserve. As part of a larger project looking into the relationship between amphibian biodiversity and cacao production, FCATeros Darwin …
Critically endangered frog species found at the FCAT Reserve Read More »
Last year, FCAT acquired a 42 ha property with plans to use the land as a hub for forest restoration and research. Working with leading forest restoration scientists Leighton Reid (Virginia Tech) and Zak Zahawi (University of Hawaii and Charles Darwin Foundation), FCAT is planting 5,000 seedlings of 20 different species using a restoration strategy …
FCAT initiates landscape-scale reforestation experiment Read More »
We would like to welcome several new staff members to the FCAT family! Karla Zambrano, from the nearby community of Herrera, joined us to help manage research projects and field station operations. Evaristo Cedeño is working with Alison Ke at UC Davis, researching whether nesting sites are limiting the populations of cavity-nesting birds in tropical agricultural …
FCAT was honored to host students in the Masters program in Tropical Ecology and Conservation for a class on Aquatic Ecology from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.
Over the course of two weeks, 22 undergraduate students from Tulane University were immersed in the nature and culture of western Ecuador during their stay at the FCAT reserve. The course entitled ‘Tropical Field Biology and Conservation’ provides students with the opportunity to develop and implement independent research projects under the guidance of FCAT’s expert …
With generous support from the International Conservation Fund of Canada and private donors, FCAT has recently acquired an additional 42 ha of land that positions the FCAT reserve as one of the largest continuous forest reserves in the region. The property, which contains a lek of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird, was recently deforested and is now …
Through the generous support of the US Fish and Wildlife Service NMBCA program, private donors, and the Rainforest Trust, FCAT has expanded its reserve by 360 ha (890 acres). This represents an important achievement for conservation in the region, where ongoing deforestation threatens many remaining populations for plants and animals. FCAT will build upon this …