While I’ve grown accustomed to many of the changes of living away from my home country, one thing I have not gotten used to is the air pollution here in Ecuador.
In any of the major living areas, you will discover that the constant stream of buses and trucks makes for a very smoggy experience. Transportation aside, oil exploration, logging and road building are all contributing to the increased environmental concerns. Given Ecuador’s incredible biodiversity (1,600 bird species, 6,000 species of butterflies and over 16,000 plant species, to name a few) it makes me sad to see pollution threatening the natural beauty of Ecuador.
So what are people doing about it? I took it upon myself to compile this below list of some great organizations here that are dedicated to protecting the environment in Ecuador. For those looking for volunteer opportunities in Ecuador, these orgs are a great place to start!
EcoCiencia – Promotes sustainable management of natural resources through conservation efforts. Headquartered in Quito; projects in Esmeraldas province.
Zoobreviven Foundation – Committed to conserving biodiversity through reforestation, environmental education and economic development for local residents. Headquartered in Quito; projects in the Choco region (northern Ecuador).
Fundacion Cabo San Francisco – Focused on flora and fauna conservation. Headquartered in Quito.
Fundacion Ecologica Condorhuana – Promotes environmental education, sustainable use of natural resources and alternative land and resource development. Headquartered in Loja.
Fundacion Brethren y Unida – Projects focus on sustainable farming efforts in rural Ecuador. Headquartered in Quito; projects in Pedro Moncayo, Columbe, and Intag.
Latest posts by laurenfoukes
- Saying Goodbye to Ecuador - March 29th, 2010
- At Some Point I Became Lorena - March 15th, 2010
- Aftermath of Chilean Earthquakes - March 7th, 2010
- Taking the Plunge - March 1st, 2010
- Lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo - February 20th, 2010
- My Country, 'Tis of Thee - February 8th, 2010
- Forget Language Teachers...I've Got Kids - January 31st, 2010
- Staying Flexible - January 25th, 2010
- "...But Is It Safe?" - January 11th, 2010
- Saludos de Ecuador! - January 4th, 2010
