ACMUS Palanda: Committed to Conserving Water and Life

10 Feb 2025
In the small town of Palanda, near our Tapichalaca Reserve in southern Ecuador, high Andean mountains give way to the foothills of the Amazon. This breathtaking landscape, where trees seem to touch the sky, and rivers run clear as crystal, faces a constant threat: deforestation. The expansion of agricultural frontiers and cattle ranching has placed vital water sourcesand the life they sustainin jeopardy. For years, preserving these resources seemed an impossible task. But in 2018, the Palanda community took a step forward, designating a Municipal Conservation and Sustainable Use Area (ACMUS, by its Spanish acronym). This marked the beginning of a new era for the region.  

 

"With about 190,200 acres, (77,000 hectares) the creation of ACMUS was crucial to protect forests and water, while teaching our people how to take care of nature through sustainable practices," says Magno Tamayo, a representative of the municipal government.

At Jocotoco, we support the community by helping manage and monitor large portions of the ACMUS.  Our goal is to ensure community buy-in for the ACMUS and ultimately to build local capacity to manage the ACMUS. This is all part of our Podocarpus-El Cóndor conservation program, an initiative which aims to maintain and expand  connections between our Tapichalaca Reserve, the Podocarpus National Park, the Yacuri National Park, and ACMUS Palanda, creating a vast biological network of protected areas. This network protects more than 300 bird species, iconic mammals such as the spectacled bear and mountain tapir, and hundreds of endemic plant species. "We go beyond protecting land; we inspire people to become defenders of their homes, their roots, and their children's future," says Miguel Barreiros, Jocotoco's program coordinator.

Jhuly Días, Jocotoco's first female park ranger, and part of our team that manages the ACMUS, exemplifies this dedication. Her story is a testament to passion and perseverance. She recounted how, as a child, she was often called "crazy" for her enthusiasm about joining conservation clubs. Today, she proudly spends her days discovering and protecting Palanda's natural wonders. 

Thanks to Jhuly and the rest of our team, we are already seeing a transformation in the community. A group of local leaders, elected officials,  and people who live and work in Palanda  now come together regularly to make joint decisions on the sustainable management of the ACMUS. Jacqueline Velázquez, a representative of that group, sums it up clearly: "If we don't take care of these resources, no one else will. Our grandchildren deserve to see the beauty of Palanda, the birthplace of chocolate, more than 5,300 years ago. If we all make a little effort, we all win."

From preserving clear waters to protecting biodiversity, this community has come together with a common goal: to safeguard their home for future generations. Here, every action matters because they know real change comes from collective effort and shared responsibility.

This is a new chapter in Palandas's history that spans millenia. This region of the Amazonian Andes, inhabited for over five thousand years, holds archaeological remains of one of the earliest civilizations in the area, along with the oldest known evidence of cacao usehinting that the origins of chocolate may trace back here.

Even today, Palanda stays true to its roots, keeping its rich heritage alive through sustainable farming and ecotourism. Its story continues to unfold, and you can be a part of it. Support the guardians of Palanda. Donate here.