Reybanpac and the Wong Foundation, committed to biodiversity conservation

Every July 18, Ecuador celebrates the anniversary of the National System of Protected Areas with the aim of highlighting the importance of these natural spaces, which are vital for sustaining human life.

Climate change, environmental pollution, and the loss of biodiversity resulting from urban expansion and human activity impact terrestrial ecosystems. This, in turn, causes the degradation of soil, a vital resource for achieving sustainable agri-food systems. For this reason, the conservation of natural habitats is part of the environmental commitment of Reybanpac and the Wong Foundation, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 of the Global Compact.

Through the Wong Foundation, we have been caring for the protected forest known as the Río Palenque Scientific Center since 1998. This forest was initially developed as a biological research station by the University of Miami in 1970 and was declared a protected area by the Ecuadorian government the following year.

This 110-hectare reserve is the only remaining primary tropical forest in the Upper Guayas basin and is home to hundreds of plant species, as well as various types of birds, bees, bats, reptiles, and others. Thanks to its biological richness, it has also been the site of multiple studies that have contributed significantly to the knowledge of local fauna and flora.

In 2004, for example, researchers from the University of Miami analyzed a group of Piperaceae plants, finding two species endemic to Río Palenque. One of the most recent studies took place in 2020, when a team from the Ecuadorian Center for Biotechnology Research at the ESPOL university, led by Dr. Rafael Castañeda, discovered a fungus in the forest that had never before been described by science.

As part of its protection work, the Wong Foundation conducts permanent and random patrols, both on the perimeter and inside Río Palenque, to prevent illegal logging and hunting.

In addition, the Wong Foundation works to promote environmental awareness and responsibility in the community through the more than 650 students of the educational units sponsored by the foundation.

The Río Palenque Scientific Center is a biodiversity treasure of Ecuador that we protect with care and pride as a conscious act of our responsibility with the natural environment and its ecosystems. With each hectare protected, we bring our purpose to life: to nurture people and cultivate well-being, contributing to a sustainable future where human well-being and environmental balance go hand in hand.