The mountainous cloud forest of Cuyas in Piura includes about 3,000 acres at an elevation of 2,500 meters above sea level and represents a precious fragment of native Andean forest on the west slope of the Andes. Its conservation condition is relatively good, considering its proximity to the city of Ayabaca, due to agreements established by the community to regulate extraction of wood and access of cattle to the forest.
BirdLife International has recognized the mountainous cloud forest of Cuyas as an "area of importance for the conservation of birds,"justifying intervention along the same lines as NCI’s project to conserve important bird areas in Piura.
International recognition of bird diversity supports conservation of Cuyas cloud forest. |
Threats to this forest continue, however—despite efforts to enforce the agreements—because it has been difficult to control how many and which people enter the forest, local authorities have provided only limited support and management, and local people, especially non-natives, lack awareness of and involvement in the forest’s conservation.
NCI is supporting the following activities:
• Work with the rural community of Chuchayo to develop local capacity in managing resources, environmental education, research, and sustainable production activities. The project provided training courses on aspects of leadership, equity of gender, civil awareness, exercising rights and conservation and set up and organized the Conservationist Committee of the Forests of the Community.
• Trained 14 local teachers in Schoolyard Ecology methodology, as well as an educational guidebook on the cloud forest and a theoretical; established a Children’s Birdwatchers Club and the program “World of Children” (Tierra de Niños or TiNi) with ANIA.
• Promoting scientific research on the biodiversity of the forest through bachelor of science degree graduation theses.
• Identified sustainable production activities and strengthening local capacities through workshops and internships on agro-ecology, apiculture (beekeeping), organic waste composting, and reforestation.
• Meeting with local authorities and other institutions to assure political support for conservation efforts, mainly production and implementation of a plan of development for Ayabaca Province.
• Production of a community environment policy proposal for conservation of the forest, strategy for communication, program of environmental education, and a document that has formed the basis for a management plan for the Forest of Cuyas.
Donors: British Birdwatching Fair (BBWF), BirdLife International
