Get Involved
How can I get involved? Fundación Cordillera Tropical welcomes inquiries from volunteers and researchers to help us conserve the beautiful Andean páramos and tropical montane cloud forest. Margaret Mead once quipped that we should "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." We invite you to join our small group of committed conservationists here at Fundación Cordillera Tropical!
New Opportunity: Seeking Volunteer Teams
Fundación Cordillera Tropical is seeking eight-person volunteer teams to help rural Ecuadorian families implement sustainable ranching practices through tree planting. During this 7-day eco-volunteerism trip to the Tropical Andes, volunteers will be based at a field camp in the Mazar Wildlife Reserve on the border of the Sangay National Park. The Foundation welcomes volunteer teams between January and June 2015 when conditions are ideal for planting trees.
For further details visit our Team Volunteer page.
Individual Volunteers
Contribute toward the conservation of one of the most threatened biodiverse ecosystems on the planet - the Tropical Andes. Conservation International has identified the Tropical Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru as a biodiversity hotspot, an area with an exceptional biodiversity and endemic plants which is highly threatened. Join our team of conservation professionals to protect the endangered Andean bear, golden-plumed parakeet, and mountain tapir.
Gain experience. Learn about grassroots conservation strategies while working side-by-side with Ecuadorian professionals. You can learn hands-on by educating children about the environment, or studying the Andean bear.
Learn Spanish or Quichua! Work with Ecuadorian professionals who manage environmental education, research, and capacity building programs in mestizo and indigenous Quichua communities throughout the Nudo del Azuay. Learn at the same time as you make a positive contribution to conservation next to our patient staff and welcoming community members.
For further details visit our Individual Volunteer page.
Conduct research in the Nudo del Azuay
If you are interested in conducting research with Fundación Cordillera Tropical, please see our Researchers page. We welcome researchers in the natural sciences, anthropology, or sociology to study the tropical montane systems within the 96,000 hectares of the Nudo del Azuay.
Learn about FCT's partners
Check out our Links page to see other organizations working with Fundación Cordillera Tropical.