Un poco del Chocó

About us

Un poco del Chocó is a private conservation project in the northwest of Ecuador which was founded in 2009 by the German biologist Nicole Büttner and her Ecuadorian husband Wilo Vaca. With its 15 hectares nature reserve and a biological field station the project contributes to conservation and research of the threatened Chocó-Ecoregion.

The Chocó has an amazingly high biodiversity and is home to numerous endemics. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the Ecuadorian Chocó have been deforested. That’s why it is considered as one of the areas with the highest conservation priority worldwide.

Although there are several public and private protected areas, the total protected surface area is still small. Un poco del Chocó is Nicole and Wilo’s personal contribution to the conservation of the Chocó and they hope to convince more people of the importance of nature conservation. Even the quite small nature reserve of Un poco del Chocó is home to more than 230 bird species, including Ecuador’s rarest bird species, the critically endangered Banded Ground-Cuckoo.

The biological field station of Un poco del Chocó mainly finances the project. Undergraduate students stay at the station to participate in tropical ecology courses or internships. And graduate students conduct individual research projects in the nature reserve. Additionally, eco-tourists can be lodged at the station and visit the reserve.

Furthermore, Un poco del Chocó accepts volunteers who want to contribute to the conservation work. The trail system always needs improvement and environmental education workshops with the local kids aim to promote nature conservation in the region.