A song to encourage citizens to protect the environment of the Yanuncay Watershed, Ecuador (audio slideshow)

Rare has launched 11 campaigns in the Andes to help protect vital watersheds as well as safeguard important habitat for endangered species. This story is really about the journey of water from the páramo grasslands in Cajas National Park through the dairy cattle communities upstream to the downstream farmers and water users all the way to Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador. Rare Conservation Fellow Marco Bustamante scripted the lyrics to this lovely song that accompanies this slideshow that follows water through breathtaking vistas to the people who rely on the rivers and the relationships that are developing to protect the watershed.

If you’d like to learn more about how Rare is protecting cloud forests and endangered species in the Andes with reciprocal watershed agreements, I highly recommended checking out this Q&A.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

The Páramo of the Yanuncay
I was born in the mountains
I am the páramo and I am thinking of you
I protect water in a place
Where the sky is high
And I bring it to you via the river Yanuncay

You must protect the grasslands
They are the heritage of your people
Therefore everyone should
Respect the environment
So that you will always have water in your home

Chorus
But this land cannot survive
If the cows and calves
Continue to cross the river and trample the land
The spongy black soil
Cannot endure this abuse
And it will no longer be able to secure the water that it harbors

I only ask that you help me
Because I tried to no avail
Protect our hills
Where the cows and calves roam

Here are the lyrics to the song in Spanish:

EL PÁRAMO DEL YANUNCAY
EN LAS MONTAÑAS NACÍ
YO SOY EL PÁRAMO Y PIENSO EN TI
YO GUARDO EL AGUA EN UN LUGAR
CUANDO DEL CIELO YA NO CAE
Y LLEGA A TI POR EL RÍO YANUNCAY

EL PAJONAL HAY QUE CUIDAR
ES PATRIMONIO DE LA COMUNIDAD
POR ESO YA TODA LA GENTE
ESTA CUIDANDO EL MEDIO AMBIENTE
PARA QUE EL AGUA NUNCA FALTE EN TU HOGAR

CORO
PERO  ESTA TIERRA NO PODRÁ SOBREVIVIR
SI LAS VACAS Y TERNEROS
SIEMPRE CRUZAN POR AQUÍ
EL ESPONJOSO SUELO NEGRO
YA NO RESISTE EL PISOTEO
Y NO PODRÁ GUARDAR EL AGUA QUE HAY EN MI

SOLO TE PIDO QUE ME AYUDES
PORQUE YO TRATÉ Y NO PUDE
PROTEGER A NUESTROS CERROS
DE VACONAS Y BECERRROS

SI DE LA TIERRA NECESITAS
TODO TE DA NADA TE QUITA
SIN EL AGUA NO PODREMOS PROGRESAR