Jocotoco: Conservation that Can Safeguard Humanity's Future

Biodiversity Is At Risk and So Is Our Future

Sometimes, all it takes is a glance around us to realize that something critical is happening.  The climate has become unpredictable: floods, wildfires, and extreme droughts are growing more frequent and intense. At the same time, once-familiar sounds, like birdsongs or the buzz of bees, are falling into an unsettling silence. These are not isolated signs; they are visible symptoms of a much larger crisis. We are living through a sixth mass extinction, driven by human activity.

There are nine planetary boundaries that define the conditions necessary to maintain a safe and stable planet for  humanity:

1. Climate change: The rise in greenhouse gases is disrupting Earth's energy balance, leading to increased global temperatures and altered climate patterns. This boundary has already been transgressed.
2. Ocean acidification: The absorption of CO2 by the oceans lowers pH levels, harming marine life. Although still within safe limits, this boundary is approaching a critical threshold.
3. Biogeochemical flows: The excessive use of nitrogen and phosphorus is disrupting natural nutrient cycles. Both flows have surpassed their safe operating levels.
4. Freshwater change: Human-driven alterations to rivers and soil moisture levels have exceeded safe boundaries, impacting ecosystems and disrupting climate regulation.
5. Land system change: Deforestation and land conversion have significantly reduced essential ecological functions. Forest cover across all major biomes is now below safe thresholds. Agricultural expansion has modified over 60% of Earth's land surface, severely damaging vital ecosystems.
6. Biosphere integrity: The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality has exceeded safe planetary boundaries, representing a serious threat to Earth's stability. This is among the most critical environmental issues. Recent scientific studies indicate that, since 1970, wildlife populations have declined by approximately 40- 70%. Biodiversity is declining rapidly, with extinction rates 10 to 100 times above natural levels due to human activities, threatening key ecosystem services and human well-being.
7. Novel entities: Synthetic chemicals (such as microplastics and endocrine disruptors) are being released into the environment without proper testing. The presence of these substances is beyond safe thresholds.
8. Stratospheric ozone depletion: The ozone layer is recovering and current levels are within the Safe Operating Space, though still below mid-20th century levels.
9. Atmospheric aerosol loading: Airborne particles affect climate, but current interhemispheric differences remain within safe limits.

To date, six of the nine boundaries have already been crossed. Exceeding these limits brings us dangerously close to irreversible tipping points where ecosystems may collapse and human survival could be threatened.

Environmental degradation is eroding both economic and social stability. It can lead to food shortages, disease outbreaks, and the collapse of fisheries. The scarcity of essential natural resources also heightens the risk of conflict and war. Without urgent action, we risk a future marked by growing inequality and geopolitical tension.

Jocotoco's Response to a Planetary Emergency

In the face of today's unprecedented global environmental crisis, Jocotoco has made a clear and urgent commitment: to protect what remains and restore what we've lost. Every action we take is guided by science and aimed at reversing the transgression of planetary boundaries that we can impact, especially Land System Change and Biosphere Integrity.

Since 1900, carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning have risen dramatically. That excess carbon ends up in the atmosphere (causing global warming), in the oceans (leading to acidification), and in the land, which, when managed well, can safely store carbon in its vegetation and soils.

That makes land conservation essential. When we conserve carbon-dense ecosystems like páramos and mature forests, we prevent the release of vast amounts of carbon. When we protect previously cleared land, natural vegetation regrows and begins to absorb carbon once again. And when we actively restore degraded areas through the planting of native trees, we accelerate this natural carbon capture process.

Jocotoco protects and manages 18 reserves in Ecuador, covering over 110,000 acres (44,000 hectares), and works alongside communities and governments to protect an additional 188,000 acres (76,000 hectares) of irreplaceable ecosystems. We have planted more than 1.7 million trees of 140 native species. We have the capacity to grow more than 120,000 native trees at our own nurseries every year.

In areas such as the Chocó, our efforts are already showing clear results. Previously deforested areas of our Canandé Reserve have undergone more than 20 years of natural regeneration and now sustain the biodiversity comparable to mature forests. In portions of the Canandé Reserve that have regrown on their own, we've recorded an average 5% annual increase in biodiversity, proving that nature can recover, if given time, space, and the right support.

Our work goes beyond protecting and restoring our reserves. We are working to build climate resilience through ecological connectivity across vast regions, linking ecosystems from just above sea level to the tops of Andean peaks so that species can move, adapt, and maintain healthy populations in the face of a rapidly changing climate. We are also making our own communities more climate resilient.  Healthy ecosystems act as natural buffers against climate impacts such as flooding, soil erosion, and water scarcity. Protecting nature means protecting ourselves.

The Planet's Future Is in Our Hands

The environmental crisis is no longer a distant threat, it is our present reality. But so is the opportunity to reverse it. The ecosystems we protect are not just faraway landscapes; they are the source of our air, water, food, and wellbeing for people in Ecuador and beyond. By conserving these spaces, we are securing our own survival and that of future generations.

Donate today. Together, we can change the course.