26,000 acres completed - a new protected area in Ecuador! Glad to announce the creation of the Quilanga Municipal Conservation Area in Loja, Ecuador. Grateful to fellow artists and matching funds support from the Wyss Foundation. Declared May 6, 2022, the area spans 26,273 acres (10,623 hectares) of native forest and paramos with an altitudinal range of 6,560 – 8,860 feet above sea level. Its creation is due in part to two years of research, consultation, and collaboration between the Municipality of Quilanga, Andes Amazon Fund and Nature and Culture International. Quilanga protects local water resources and unique flora and fauna species. It is home to the critically endangered Ecuadorian Vizcacha (Lagidium ahuacaense), a species of mammal only found in the southern Ecuadorian Andes. The vizcacha was recently discovered, with the first registered observation occurring in 2005; fires and cattle grazing have affected its habitat and reduced its population. The creation of the Quilanga Municipal Conservation Area comes at a vital time for the protection of this species and the area’s paramos, which are a water source for local communities.