SalvaNATURA

SalvaNATURA
Name	SalvaNATURA
Formation	1990s
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Quito
Region served	Amazon Basin
Leaders	Board of Directors

SalvaNATURA

SalvaNATURA is an environmental NGO focused on biodiversity protection, habitat restoration, and sustainable development across tropical regions, especially the Amazon Basin, Andes, and Galápagos. Founded by conservationists and scientists, the organization collaborates with international bodies, research institutions, indigenous federations, and governmental agencies to implement conservation projects, support ecological research, and advance environmental education. SalvaNATURA's activities intersect with global frameworks, regional parks, and transboundary initiatives to conserve critical species and ecosystems.

Overview

SalvaNATURA operates in landscapes that include the Amazon Rainforest, Yasuní National Park, Galápagos Islands, Andes, and coastal reserves, coordinating with entities such as the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, IUCN, UNEP, and UNESCO to align objectives. The organization engages experts from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Society, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and universities including Harvard University, Oxford University, University of Cambridge, University of São Paulo, and Universidad San Francisco de Quito. SalvaNATURA tracks indicators used in conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, and CITES while liaising with regional bodies like the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and the Andean Community. Major collaborations include partnerships with the Nature Conservancy, BirdLife International, WWF-Brazil, WWF-US, and national park services such as the Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas.

History and Founding

SalvaNATURA was established in the 1990s by conservationists influenced by initiatives like the Earth Summit (1992), the founding members having affiliations with organizations including the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Conservation International, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Early campaigns drew on precedents set by campaigns around Yasuní-ITT Initiative, the creation of Galápagos Marine Reserve, and transboundary accords like the Andean Pact. Founders worked with leaders from indigenous organizations such as the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador and federations represented at forums like the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and they secured seed funding through trusts allied with the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and bilateral donors including the European Union and USAID.

Mission and Programs

SalvaNATURA's mission aligns with targets from the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals, prioritizing species protection, habitat connectivity, climate resilience, and community livelihoods. Programs include protected area management modeled after Man and the Biosphere Programme sites, ecosystem restoration projects inspired by protocols from the Convention on Migratory Species, species recovery plans comparable to efforts for giant tortoise conservation in the Galápagos, and marine protection initiatives akin to programs by the Marine Stewardship Council. The organization implements monitoring methods used by projects such as the Forest Stewardship Council certification, carbon projects following Reductions of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), and fisheries measures consistent with International Union for Conservation of Nature recommendations.

Conservation Projects

SalvaNATURA manages a portfolio of projects protecting flagship species and habitats, including initiatives for species similar to the Amazon river dolphin, Andean condor, spectacled bear, jaguar, harpy eagle, and endemic reptiles of the Galápagos Islands. Landscapes under stewardship include corridors connecting reserves like Podocarpus National Park and Cotopaxi National Park, freshwater conservation in basins such as the Napo River and Pastaza River, and coastal restoration in areas reminiscent of Manta and Esmeraldas. Projects have adopted methodologies from case studies such as the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot conservation and community-based models observed in Monteverde and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta programs, while engaging with multilateral mechanisms including Global Environment Facility co-financing and Green Climate Fund proposals.

Research and Partnerships

SalvaNATURA collaborates with academic partners like the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, University of Oxford Tropical Ecology Group, Yale School of the Environment, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, and institutes such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Kew Gardens to conduct biodiversity assessments, genetic studies, and climate vulnerability analyses. Research outputs feed into global datasets maintained by GBIF, IUCN Red List, BirdLife International species assessments, and climate models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Partnerships extend to NGOs such as WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, and regional bodies like SERNANP and ICMBio for Brazil, enabling transnational conservation science and policy engagement at forums like the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties.

Community Engagement and Education

Community programs incorporate approaches used by organizations such as Oxfam International, SOS Children's Villages, and indigenous advocacy groups including the Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Alliance to integrate traditional ecological knowledge from communities like the Kichwa and Waorani with scientific management. SalvaNATURA runs education initiatives modeled after curricula from institutions like the Galápagos Science Center and outreach campaigns using media strategies similar to the National Geographic Magazine and BBC Natural History Unit, while supporting sustainable enterprises akin to fair-trade cooperatives affiliated with Rainforest Alliance certification and market access through partnerships with retailers such as Whole Foods Market and IKEA sustainability programs.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources combine multilateral grants from the Global Environment Facility, philanthropic support from foundations including the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Packard Foundation, corporate partnerships with firms engaged in sustainability programs like Unilever and Patagonia (company), and revenue from ecosystem services projects under mechanisms related to REDD+ and voluntary carbon markets. Governance is overseen by a board with profiles comparable to trustees from Nature Conservancy and academic advisors drawn from Harvard Forest, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and law experts conversant with treaties such as UNCLOS and instruments like the Nagoya Protocol. Accountability mechanisms include audits by firms similar to PricewaterhouseCoopers and reporting aligned with standards from Global Reporting Initiative and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Category:Environmental organizations