What is Wildsumaco? Who are we?

There's a road in Ecuador that winds southeast out of Quito, moving through the Andes' beautiful Eastern Foothills. From it, on the Guacamayos Ridge, a volcano can sometimes be seen rising to 3730 meters (12,250 feet) through the misty distance of the east. It is called Sumaco.

The hills below and around Sumaco are covered in lush primary forest, so remote and difficult to access that to this day they remain virtually unexplored, unmapped, a mystery.

Recognizing its significance, Ecuador has made Sumaco and the area around it a national park.  Primary rainforest in and below the buffer zone surrounding Sumaco National Park is threatened with ecological disaster. In a classic example of slash and burn agriculture, the forest's largest trees are being cut down and sold to loggers, the remainder of the forest cleared and burned, the land turned into farms or pastures.

These changes are happening rapidly, but we of Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary S.A., a small, private company dedicated to conservation, are determined to save and preserve a sustainable piece of this fine rainforest and its wildlife before it disappears forever. We believe that we have found the perfect formula.

The general region of Sumaco encompasses a wide range of elevations, and is bird-rich.  Many of the species found here are rare, endangered, or very difficult to see elsewhere.  Until now, there has been no comfortable lodging for birders convenient to this superb birding destination.

We have changed that.

As a significant part of our conservation effort, we have built Wildsumaco Lodge on a ridge that was cleared of forest by previous owners some years ago.  The view from our dining room and deck across the Rio Pucuno Vally to the Andes is breath-taking.  While the lodge is designed and will be run specifically for birders, our trails and scenery, our flora and fauna, will delight everyone who enjoys experiencing nature firsthand.

Home to a large and exciting variety of plant, bird and other animal species, Wildsumaco should provide visitors with an exciting birding experience. As nearly 400 species have been found on our reserve alone, and the surrounding areas hold many more, a list of the birds that might be seen on even a short stay at Wildsumaco Lodge is truly impressive.

In addition to managing our own forest and land, and running Wildsumaco Lodge, we are working with people in nearby communities, seeking economic alternatives to the slash and burn agriculture that threatens the area's remaining rainforest. In time we hope that Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary will become a recognized base for scientific inquiry into ornithology, zoology, botany and other biological fields, within our own forest and in the nearby Sumaco National Park as well.

We are personally involved…

in every aspect of our land and lodge, and believe that our direct, hands-on approach to conservation will work well here. Our presence serves to preserve and protect the rainforest and its wildlife, birders have unrivaled access to some of Ecuador's finest birds, and lodge income will maintain the property. Beyond this, most of the profit from the lodge will be used to buy and protect additional forest in the Sumaco region, through the non-profit Rio Pucuno Foundation.

When you visit Wildsumaco, you'll see what a few individuals who are deeply committed to conservation can accomplish.

We will be good stewards of this land, and anticipate an exciting future in Sumaco. 

If you are interested in helping our conservation efforts please contact either of us below, or the Rio Pucuno Foundation at www.riopucunofoundation.org.

Bonnie Burgess Olson, President
Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary S.A.
bonnie@wildsumaco.com

Jonas Nilsson, General Manager
Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary S.A.
jonas@wildsumaco.com