Sustainability

We are proud to be a sustainable tourism provider, and as such encourage guests to abide by some simple guidelines:

* Never attempt to feed wildlife and please don't litter.
* Do not pick plants or take any natural items, especially in protected parks and reserves. Leave only footsteps, take only photographs.
* Avoid being loud so wildlife is not disturbed and so others can enjoy the natural setting.
* Stay on marked hiking trails to avoid damage or erosion.
* Although our staff and the local community members would likely be pleased to allow you to photograph them, ask permission first as a courtesy.
* Although you may barter some with souvenir vendors, please be respectful and remember that they are trying to make a living.
* Purchase locally made goods when possible rather than imported items.
* See our Phrase Guide and attempt to learn a few simple phrases in Spanish to communicate with local residents that you encounter.
* Be mindful of any additional advice your tour guide gives you about environmental or cultural guidelines to follow.

Strengthening Bird-Watching Expertise in Ecuador

From 30 May to 5 June, Conservation International (CI) had 20 certified naturalist guides from Machalilla and Manglares Churute protected areas undergo an intensive training on bird-watching guiding under the expert direction of one of the better known bird watchers of Ecuador, William Perez.

Guides and their instructor localized indigenous birds along the Ayampe trail on the southern outskirts of Machalilla National Park. The Machalilla based training included information on bird anatomy, history, evolution, botany and Ecuador's bio-diversity. Practical teachings focused on basic guiding and cordiality focused skills to further improve the experience of visitors, including the use of reference books offering more details on and drawings of identified birds, as well as the use of their names in English to cater to an audience that mostly comes from North American and Europe.

Daily on site excursions inside Machalilla national park and in Ayampe (south of the park) helped participants put these new skills to practice, not only through bird-watching but tourist guide role playing exercises. While participants were all certified guides already, most with preexisting and extensive knowledge of local birds, the training was designed to help them tangibly enhance the experience of their customers and not just learn to more readily identify birds themselves.

In short, the event is expected to:

• help local community members to specialize in a more highly skilled and better remunerated economic activity;
• provide greater expertise that will help attract more tourists interested in one of the Ecuador's most unique ecological asset;
• develop a tourism related activity that mandates further conservation to remain viable;
• improve the quality of a high-end tourism activity which would help Ecuador develop a niche on the world market;
• actively monitor the condition of bird colonies and their wider natural environment.

The Machalilla Manglares Churute costal area is home to some 280 identified bird species (49 of which are unique to this area), in fact offering a richer array of birds than the Amazon area. Based on the positive feedback of participants and park manager requests for additional such trainings, CI is currently considering offering this course to further naturalist guides as well as providing more advanced training to a select group of individuals showing greatest potential in this area.