This project seeks to raise awareness about, and create a protected area inside, the “biodiversity vertex,” a 100 km2 quadrant holding the ABSOLUTE greatest number of animal and plant species per unit area anywhere on Earth, hoping to secure its designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The creation of the reserve will stop an open-pit gold mining operation through the purchase of five rainforest land lots totaling 208 hectares. Khamai Foundation has the opportunity to acquire these plots of land before the miners do, but only if we act quickly. We seek to achieve the following goals:

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1. Secure the rainforest from the miners by creating a protected area

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2. Create an eco-tourism project to maintain and expand the reserve

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3. Provide an alternative income source to gold mining in the Río Anzu area

Close-up image of the Spotted Rocket Frog Close-up image of the Spotted Rocket Frog

Expand Pitalala Reserve to save the Spotted Rocket Frog from an open-pit mine

Today, you can help us create a 208-hectare rainforest reserve in the most biodiverse 100x100 km2 quadrant of the planet. The establishment of Pitalala is critical to save the ENDANGERED Spotted Rocket Frog from an open-pit gold mine.

$346,580 raised of $966,562 goal.

36%

58 backers. 45 days to go.

What is the world’s biodiversity vertex?

Between 2007 and 2013, the upper Amazon basin became known as the world’s most biologically rich region. With the information available at the time, it seemed like no-other region on the planet held a higher conservation priority than the upper Amazon basin (Bass et al. 2010; Jenkins et al. 2013). But the “upper Amazon” is a term used to define a broad area including the entire foothills of the Andes where these meet the Amazon lowlands (Fig. 1).

Where exactly is the center of species richness within this broader area? If we had to narrow it down to a 100x100 km quadrant, where would it be located?

Using the most detailed and comprehensive geographic information of Ecuador’s reptiles, biologist Alejandro Arteaga has built a model (Fig. 2) that depicts upper-Amazon species richness. Curiously, the model suggests that the most species-rich segment of the upper Amazon basin is the 400–900 m elevational fringe immediately adjacent to the foothills of the Andes, slightly below the equatorial line at the headwaters of the rivers Napo and Pastaza (yellow polygon in Figs 2, 3).

Building on data compiled for other groups of vertebrates (mammals and birds in addition to reptiles; Jenkins et al. 2013), the interactive Map of Life (MOL) project suggests a similar pattern. This map subdivides the globe into 100x100 km quadrants and provides a “biodiversity score” for each one. The quadrant having the highest (=100) score corresponds almost exactly with the area identified in Fig. 1. A recent study focused on butterflies suggest a similar pattern (Doré et al. 2021).

Although high resolution data is not available for plants and for all animal groups, a rough pattern is emerging. One that points out to the equatorial foothills of the Andes as being the world’s “biodiversity vertex.”

What is the goal of the project?

The goal of this project is the creation of Pitalala Reserve (meaning “viper” in Kichwa), a protected area in the heart of the “biodiversity vertex” and to establish the region as a world-wide hub for biodiversity study and protection.

Specific objectives

Create a 130-hectare rainforest reserve under Khamai Foundation.

Plan and carry out a BioBlitz (rapid biological inventory) survey to evaluate the state of the region’s biodiversity and disseminate the results on through a documentary.

Create an ecotourism project to maintain the reserve and establish a capacity building network of “protectors of the vertex.”

Why is this project urgent?

The creation of Pitalala Reserve seeks to slow down the advance of gold mining in the upper Amazon of Ecuador beginning with the protection of four rainforest land lots totaling 130 hectares. Khamai Foundation has the opportunity to acquire this of land before the miners do, but only if we act quickly as the current landowners are in an urgent need to sell and are under pressure from the miners.

March 20, 2025

As a result of the 2nd BioBlitz of Khamai Foundation, joined by Phillip Hong-Barco, Sam Schenker, and Michael Meyer, a new population of the Endangered Spotted Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus maculosus) has been detected near the reserve, in an area within the expansion plan for an open-pit gold mine. This threatened amphibian was previously known from fewer than ten locations, all outside protected areas. Thus, finding it near Pitalala Reserve presents a rare opportunity to protect it—possibly saving the species from extinction. This evidence was submitted alongside an application for a rainforest protection grant, but Khamai has yet to receive a response. Meanwhile, the risk of the land being sold to miners grows daily. Therefore, we ask you to support the fundraiser above to reach the amount needed for a down payment to secure the rocket frog’s habitat before it’s too late.

Image showing biologist Alejandro Arteaga holding an individual of the Spotted Rocket Frog

Photo 1/4: Biologist Alejandro Arteaga examines an individual of the newly discovered rocket frog population near Pitalala Reserve. Photo by David Jácome.

Image showing an individual of the Spotted Rocket Frog

Photo 2/4: A Spotted Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus maculosus) from a newly discovered population near the Pitalala Reserve, at risk from gold mining. Photo by Phillip Hong-Barco.

Image showing a new open-pit gold mine near the rocket frog population

Photo 3/4: Aerial image showing an illegal gold mine along the Chumbiyacu stream, dangerously close to the habitat of the Spotted Rocket Frog. Photo by David Jácome.

Map showing the distribution of the newly discovered rocket frog population and the location of neighboring illegal gold mines

Photo 4/4: Map showing the distribution of the newly discovered rocket frog population and the location of neighboring illegal gold mines.

February 24, 2025

Thanks to the IUCN NL, Joe Higgins, and 46 backers, our foundation has protected the first 72 hectares of Pitalala Reserve! This acquisition brings us closer to our goal to create a corridor between Pitalala and Jatun Sacha Reserve. Our next goal is to acquire the adjacent 78-hectare plot, which would prevent the establishment of a new gold mine in the middle of our proposed wildlife corridor. To this end, the 2nd BioBlitz team is literally in the field right now searching for critically endangered species in this particular piece of land. If we are successful, we will become eligible to receive a species conservation grant to cover part of the land purchase.

Image showing part of the Khamai Foundation team at Pitalala Reserve

Photo 1/2: The first 72 hectares of rainforest of the Pitalala Reserve project have officially been aquired by Khamai Foundation, thus bringing life to the project to protect the “biodiversity vertex.” Photo by Alejandro Arteaga.

Image showing the wood sign at the Pitalala Reserve

Photo 2/2: Khamai Foundation is immensely grateful to Joseph Higgins and IUCN NL for their pivotal support in creating Pitalala Reserve. Their passion for preserving biologically diverse habitats and saving highly threatened species is an inspiration to us all. Photo by David Jácome.

January 20, 2023

On this day, the fundraiser for the Pitalala Reserve is officially launched. It was seeded with the support of five backers, which allowed the team of Khamai Foundation to begin exploring the study area immediately as well as begin the buy-sell negotiations. The project at this stage seeked first to secure a 17-hectare land lot that could serve as a field based from where to explore larger neighboring rainforest plots.

Drone image of the Pitalala Reserve cliff

Photo 1/3: Aerial view of the cliff of Pitalala Reserve along the Río Anzu, including the first 17 hectare land lot protected through the current fundraiser. Photo by Alejandro Arteaga.

Drone image of the Pitalala Reserve river basin

Photo 2/3: Aerial view of the Anzu River valley across Pitalala Reserve including the second 13 hectare land lot protected through the current fundraiser. Photo by Alejandro Arteaga.

Drone image of the Pitalala Reserve river basin

Photo 3/3: Aerial view of the Anzu River valley across Pitalala Reserve including the second 56 hectare land lot targeted for protection through the current fundraiser. Photo by Alejandro Arteaga.