Santa Lucia Cloud Forest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Santa Lucia Cloud Forest
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location El Bosque Nublado Lodge, Santa Lucia
Nearest city Quito

Bosque Nublado Santa Lucia, translated as Santa Lucia Cloud Forest, is a cloud forest reserve, located about 80 km northwest of Quito, in the province of Pichincha, in Ecuador. This is at the far south of the southern phase of the Choco-Andean Rainforest Corridor. Rainforest Concern works with the Santa Lucia co-operative, a community-based conservation organisation dedicated to conservation and to sustainable development so that they can make a modest living whilst conserving their remaining cloud forest.

The community owns 7.3 km² (over 1,300 acres (5 km²)) of montane cloud forest, of which about 80% is still in its prime, virgin state and the area has now been declared part of a Bosque Protector (Protected Forest). The community-based organisation formed by local campesino families manage their own resources and they have three basic aims:

  • to conserve and protect the cloud forest belonging to member families.
  • to develop sustainable sources of income for the members of Santa Lucía.
  • to benefit directly or indirectly the residents in neighboring areas.

[edit] External links