This project will build a new virtual classroom at the Dracula reserve in the cloud forests of Ecuador, connecting a low-income population with education, job training, and conservation opportunities. These opportunities will help the local population shift away from illegal mining which threatens native wildlife, including hundreds of species of rare, native orchids. Women for Conservation is building this classroom in partnership with Fundacion Ecominga, owner of the Dracula Reserve.
Ecuador's wildlife is highly threatened from deforestation and pollution caused by a recent proliferation of illegal mining, as well as agriculture and cattle ranching. Global Forest Watch estimates that 142 acres of Ecuador's humid primary forest is lost daily. Ecuador has the highest orchid species density in the world; as epiphytes, orchids live on trees and feed from the air. Deforestation puts rare and threatened orchid species, some that have not even been discovered yet, at extreme risk.
We are building a virtual classroom in the remote cloud forest for use by local towns. Locals will be able to access computers and internet which they can use to pursue education, job training, and conservation work. Locals currently have little access to internet and job opportunities, forcing people to rely on illegal mining for income. The classroom provides greater job opportunities and a connection with the nature reserve that will curb illegal mining and deforestation & protect wildlife.
The classroom bridges the local people and the reserve. By spreading awareness about the importance of protecting nature and providing alternative jobs and education, the reserve and its surrounding community will see a reduction in illegal mining, toxic pollution, and deforestation. Long-term, this will: strengthen local ecosystems; improve vital resources like water and soil quality; protect habitat for endangered orchid species (& many others); strengthen local economy & community wellbeing.
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