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Panoramic photo of IKIAM Reserve, Ecuador, from the banks of a river, with a young girl looking out onto the river, a small island, and the sunset on the horizon.
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IKIAM Reserve

Ecuador
Expand the IKIAM Reserve in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest to protect threatened species, like the Critically Endangered Turquoise-throated Puffleg hummingbird and the Endangered Giant Otter, and to extend Indigenous stewardship.
Vote now

Total Amount requested

US $50,000

Votes this year

23

AMOUNT Raised

Funds raised this year: $4,933 out of $50,000

About the Threat

Deforestation

This land is at high risk of deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity loss over the coming ten years, due to increasing pressures from land conversion, illegal resource extraction, and climate change. The surrounding region has already experienced significant deforestation, mainly due to cattle ranching, monoculture plantations, and small-scale agriculture.

Without protection, this land could be clear-cut for unsustainable land use. Additionally, the Amazon rainforest is heavily targeted for illegal logging operations, which selectively remove high-value timber species, disrupting the ecosystem. Gold and oil exploration have also expanded into Indigenous territories, leading to river contamination, soil degradation, and the destruction of wildlife habitats.  

The loss of primary rainforest would disrupt the migration corridors of key species, leading to population declines in primates, giant otters, jaguars, and macaws. Water sources within the land could be polluted or diverted, affecting the ecosystem and freshwater biodiversity.

Currently, the Shuar community plays a crucial role in conservation through traditional ecological knowledge. If the land is not protected, external entities may take control, limiting Indigenous-led conservation efforts.

Photo of two Endangered Giant Otters lying on a log, with one resting its head on the other and looking straight into the camera.
Endangered Giant Otters. Photo by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo of an Endangered White-bellied Spider Monkey climbing among thin branches of a tree with thick leaves and small orange berries.
Endangered White-bellied Spider Monkey. Photo by Whaldener Endo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Why Vote for This Habitat

About this land

This land purchase represents a strategic investment in Amazonian conservation and Indigenous-led land protection. Located in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, the 80-hectare site consists of untouched old-growth rainforest with high biodiversity value. Among the threatened species living in this habitat are: 

The land is also home to Near Threatened Jaguars, over 500 bird species, centuries-old giant ceibas (Ceiba pentandra), and rare orchids. 

The land to be purchased is adjacent to a 133-hectare reserve (managed by TiME’s partner Fundación Visión Amazónica, in collaboration with the Shuar people), ensuring connectivity for wildlife migration and genetic diversity. Additionally, the forest plays a crucial role in carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate climate change.

The Shuar community has traditionally used the land for sustainable practices such as harvesting medicinal plants, small-scale agroforestry, and cultural rituals, all of which support biodiversity conservation.

  • Backed by: Scientific advisory committee
Photo of the pinky-grey head of an Endangered Amazon River Dolphin emerging from the water.
Endangered Amazon River Dolphin. Photo by Dan Riskin, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.
Close-up photo of the black feathered head of an Endangered Wattled Curassow, which has a bulbous yellow-orange beak.
Endangered Wattled Curassow. Photo by Frank Wouters, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo of a Vulnerable Giant Anteater in a field of grasses, some green, some dried.
Vulnerable Giant Anteater. Photo by Uri Shanas.

Cost of Land Purchase

Total Amount requested

$50,000 US

Minimum purchase

$50,000 US

Size of suggested purchased land of this application

80.0 ha

Minimum size that can be purchased

80.0 ha
Land purchase$47,500
Legal & administrative fees$1,500
Environmental & land surveys$500
Community engagement & stewardship$500
Total $50,000

Local Partner NGO

Green and blue logo of the Ecuadorian nonprofit Vision Amazonica

Fundación Visión Amazónica (IKIAM Foundation)

Fundación Visión Amazónica (IKIAM Foundation) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of Indigenous lands, the protection of biodiversity, and the sustainable management of the Ecuadorian Amazon ecosystem.

Status of registration at the national level

Private, nonprofit organization in Ecuador

Governance and management structure 

Fundación Visión Amazónica (IKIAM Foundation) operates under a collaborative governance model. It is managed by a Board of Directors, which includes Indigenous representatives, conservation experts, and environmental advocates who provide strategic direction and oversight. A Scientific Advisory Committee supports research, conservation strategy, and ecosystem monitoring. Local Shuar community leaders actively participate in decision-making, ensuring that conservation aligns with Indigenous knowledge and needs.

Fundación Visión Amazónica is part of an institutional ecosystem together with IKIAM Foundation and IKIAM Flourish. These three entities — created primarily by Indigenous members of the community, together with invited partners — jointly advance the IKIAM Ecosystem initiative, including the IKIAM Ecological Reserve, which is our biodiversity conservation line of work.

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Photo of the people protecting IKIAM Reserve, Ecuador, standing at the base of a huge tree
Satellite map outlining in yellow the land to be purchased to extend IKIAM Reserve in Ecuador.

Conservation Plans

The IKIAM Reserve expansion will be permanently protected under Indigenous stewardship, ensuring that the 80-hectare land remains conserved for future generations. 

After the land purchase, we will begin implementing conservation and restoration activities in deforested areas that threaten our current reserve. Restoration will be active, applying Shuar traditional knowledge: we will invite our elders and traditional authorities to share and teach their knowledge, and we will also invite youth and children to learn directly from them.

The long-term management plan includes legal protection, ecological monitoring, Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, and sustainable financing to maintain and safeguard biodiversity.

  • Legal & institutional protection: The land will be legally designated as a conservation reserve under the Shuar community’s governance, preventing deforestation and land conversion. We will collaborate with local authorities, conservation organizations, and Indigenous councils to ensure long-term legal recognition and enforcement.
  • Community-based conservation & stewardship: The Shuar community, which has stewarded this land for generations, will lead forest protection, habitat restoration, and sustainable land management efforts. Training programs will be implemented to equip local rangers with ecological monitoring skills, including preventing illegal activities like logging or poaching.
  • Biodiversity & ecosystem monitoring: We will establish long-term biodiversity assessments, tracking key-indicator species, deforestation rates, and ecological health using camera traps, drones, and field surveys.
  • Sustainable financing & partnerships: We will secure grants, carbon-offset funding, and eco-tourism revenue to finance conservation activities. Partnerships with universities and research institutions will support scientific studies and conservation innovation.

 

By integrating traditional knowledge, scientific monitoring, and sustainable financing, this land will remain a thriving, biodiverse Amazonian ecosystem for generations to come.