Cloud Forests in Ecuador (03:43)

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Amphibians, insects, and mammals flourish where the skies, mountains, clouds, and forests meet. Urbanization reduces the forest and tree species compete for space. (Credits)

Mindo Valley Tourism (04:48)

Tourists looking for jungle adventures arrive. Henri Patiño owns a river rafting company that employs local youth. At Mariposas de Mindo, researchers breed butterflies.

Mankind and Nature in Harmony (03:44)

Conservation benefits animals, plants, and the human population; 90% of the cloud forests have been destroyed. Booming agricultural businesses in the Andes Mountains reduces the size of forests. Giovanni Onore discusses deforestation is occurring in Ecuador.

Saving the Forests (04:23)

Onore visits Cesar Tapia, a local farmer who helps maintain traditional sustainable practices in the area. A local sugar factory processes cane to make panela. The Otonga Foundation buys land and creates a private conservation area.

Changing Attitudes (03:09)

Locals kill every snake out of fear that it is poisonous and hunt local boar. The Otonga Reserve needs to be good for the people as well as plant and animal species.

Yunguilla, Ecuador (04:40)

Villagers hold a meeting about an Andes bear that is killing cattle in the area. Santiago Molina describes rescuing the cub and nursing it back to health for release in the wild. Bears attack cows; vanilla bait helps conservationists attract bears to their camera traps.

Eco-Tourism and Reforestation (06:49)

Residents rent rooms to promote sustainable tourism. Villagers build a restaurant and work in a cheese dairy to accommodate those traveling on day trips from Quito. A local nursery grows trees to help create a cloud forest.

Endangered Species (05:18)

Morlay Read presents his findings on frog population biodiversity to the head of the Jambatu Center. Fungal diseases are decimating amphibian species worldwide. Luis Coloma establishes WIKIRI to sell endangered species bred in the laboratory to enthusiasts.

Protecting Otonga Reserve (08:14)

Onoree employs locals to build a guest house that will be available for rent to scientists and students. Read searches for the gold nugget tree frog; Onore attracts moths using a sheet and light. Experts record the croaks of various frog species.

Cloud Forest Ecosystem (03:03)

Rainforest trees purify water from the clouds. Nature has values that benefit people. Read and Onore analyze the frogs, snakes, and insects they caught the previous night.

Credits: Ecuador: Hope for the Cloud Forests—Paradise Preserved (00:33)

Credits: Ecuador: Hope for the Cloud Forests—Paradise Preserved