Bellavista is a founding member of FOUNDATION FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF NORTHEWESTERN ECUADOR. This Foundation, approved by the Ecuadorian authorities, works to protect the forests and nature of northwestern Ecuador. Funding comes through visitors, and is supported by the parent SAVE THE CLOUD FORESTS FOUNDATION in USA.  At present, both as a Foundation and as Bellavista Reserve, we are supporting  a project with other reserves in the Tandayapa Valley, to create a municipal reserve of the whole Tandayapa  Valley, thus giving broader state protection to individual conservation efforts. A website is being developed, and the goals and ongoing projects of the Foundation are as below:

* The Foundation is now helping fund transport for  neighbour children to be able to travel to school in the nearby towns, as part of a broader effort to develop projects in education .. particularly in education for conservation  in our region.

* We have successfully, together with local residents, fought the battle against hydro-electric projects on the Alambi River in the Tandayapa Valley and along the Ecoroute. Such projects , even on a so-called small  scale, would be  environmentally disastrous in this river. At present, the projects are shelved, but we need to remain vigilant that they may suddenly be pushed through behind our backs.

- The Foundation supports efforts to stop open-pit mining proposals in our region. Such projects would be infinitely worse than any other forest destruction project. 

* We have successfully had a land-invader (a person who declares ownership of land by making some kind  of building on the land and working the land) officially declared illegal, and thus have protected a large area of farmland and especially  private reserves that included a small area of Bellavista.

 * Land purchase for conservation is a fundamental goal of the Foundation. It is feasible that some if the land protected at present directly by Bellavista be placed under the protection of the Foundation. As of early 2009, Bellavista Reserve expanded 30 hectares.

* For anybody living in USA, the option for tax-deductible donations to the Foundation is available, allowing a greater contribution to be made.

The address for the USA-based SAVE THE CLOUD FORESTS FOUNDATION is as follows:

Foundation for the sustainability of Northwestern Ecuador
c/o Robert C.  Kihm, Executive Director
8858 East Nichols Place
Centennial , CO 80112
(303) 893 – 6552

Contributions made to this Foundation will be distributed to the Ecuadorian Foundation based on  specific grant requests.