The Administration of the BP Los Cedros Reserve would like to welcome your interest in research and conservation in a virtually unexplored and uncataloged area of the Neotropics. Located in Northwestern Ecuador in the recently less than contiguous Southern Choco this rapidly disappearing biosphere is considered by some to be a Pleistocene refuge area. From the Los Cedros facilities scientists have rapid access to several forest ecosystems both above and below premontane wet forest. With 2.5m to 3.5m of rainfall a year with rainy season lasting from January through May, orchids are best observed during February. The pristine conditions of the fauna have recently been demonstrated in 2001 with sightings of Puma, Spectacled Bear and Collared Peccary.

Unfortunately this area is highly endangered and little if any public outcry or professional conservationist effort has prevented the parceling up of this rich biological resource for the benefit of agroindustrialized monoculture and lumber companies who are supplying the Japanese chip board industry from one of the most diverse forest resources that has existed on the planet. A recent World Bank financed thematic mapping program has slated the entire Cotacachi/Cayapas Ecological Reserve for future mining exploration.

Only a concerted effort to categorize and define this ecological treasure can call the attention of the Government to it's true wealth and stop the tragedy of using it's resource base to pay back it's ill-considered external debt.

The Los Cedros project is designated a Bosque Protector under Ecuadorian environmental legislation and is owned by an Ecuadorian foundation known as Centro de Investigaciones del los Bosques Tropicales, CIBT.

Since the foundation of the Los Cedros Reserve the principal objective of this project has been to stimulate research and community participation in the conservation of this area. It should be added that complete community supervision of the project is the eventual goal. In the interval it is considered priority that research be conducted into the biological systems that comprise the local biosphere in order to catalog possible resources in advance of any bioprospecting efforts, in the interest of registering future income generating resources and to build a case for the conservation priority before increasing pressure from national and transnational mining, logging and agroindustrial interests.

Having said that it follows that all scientific projects will be welcome when the following criterion have been met:

1. The reserve through the offices of the Centro de Investigaciones de los Bosques Tropicales, CIBT, will assist any project in obtaining the necessary permits from the respective authorities for the exportation of scientific samples for the purpose of taxonomic identification. This is a routine procedure and is the only control of biopiracy. The exportation of any substance of plant or animal origin for any other reason must be specifically authorized by the government of Ecuador.

2. All researchers should be accompanied by Ecuadorian field assistants of university level and share the results of their endeavors with the respective scientific departments of institutions of higher education.

The Los Cedros Reserve will provide food and lodging for any Ecuadorian participants in any field research at or below cost.

Researchers are also welcomed to the Los Cedros facilities by special prices that include very good sleeping and work facilities, hot showers and three meals a day. For those projects that spend more than two weeks at Los Cedros no additional charge will be made for transportation. We realize that the reserve is a remote location and will do our best to accommodate any reasonable concern. Special space is available for humidity sensitive equipment.

Accomodation for reseachers is detailed under Visiting Los Cedros. Fees for international researchers are $15/person/night. Fees for Ecuadorean researchers are $5/person/night. Fees for researchers are negotiable.