Arútam Rainforest Reserve

As a visitor or volunteer with Wawazonia, you have the privilege of accessing the Arútam Rainforest Reserve, which is situated among four of our communities: Kaapar, Arútam, Chinimp Tuna, and Sumak Pakcha. This expansive reserve spans approximately 2,600 acres and is encircled by primary rainfore from these communities.

 

The reserve is located at the base of the Andean Foothills, with altitudes ranging from 550 to 1,000 meters above sea level. It lies within one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and connects to an additional 250,000 acres communally owned forest, merging seamlessly with a significant area of undisturbed forest that extends into Peru and Brazil.

 

The flora within the reserve is remarkably diverse, featuring a wide array of species, including podocarpus, mahogany palms, bromeliads, and an extensive variety of orchids. The fauna is equally rich, encompassing species such as pumas, howler monkeys, saki monkeys, tam monkeys, nocturnal monkeys, squirrels, white-lipped and collared peccaries, ocelots, margay cats, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, coatis, agoutis, pacas, otters, caimans, and occasionally, jaguars and tapirs. The avian population is particularly abundant, comprising species such as military macaws, parakeets, touc, curassows, guans, hummingbirds, manakins, antbirds, tanagers, tinamous, and oropendulas. Local can identify over 220 bird species in the immediate vicinity of the community. One hectare (2.5 acres) of rainforest in Ecuador and Arútam can host more than 750 tree species and 1500 species of higher plants.

 

Ecuador is estimated to contain approximately 25,000 plant species alone, contrast to 17,000 species found across all of North America, and is home to 1,600 bird species—more than double that of Europe. The country boasts 369 known mammal species and 350 reptile species, including over 200 species of snakes. Additionally, Ecuador is home to around 400 amphibian species, representing the highest number of frog species globally, as well as an estimated 800 fish species in the Amazon waters. While exact number of invertebrates, insects, remains undetermined, they are the most numerous among all living creatures potentially reaching into the hundreds of thousands.