What Does Fundación Mateus Do for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in Ecuador?

Ecuador is a cultural and natural mosaic, recognized for its extraordinary biodiversity. However, many emblematic species face critical threats due to habitat loss, while several communities also experience constant socioeconomic challenges.

In this context, Fundación Mateus has consolidated a conservation model that understands that, in order to protect wildlife, it is also necessary to positively transform the social reality of communities in Ecuador.

Through a multidimensional approach that combines science, economic sustainability, and gender equity, the foundation is setting the standard for how conservation can be carried out in the 21st century.

Direct Support for Wildlife: The Jardín Alado Project

The foundation’s most direct action in favor of threatened species is reflected in its support for the Jardín Alado Zoo project. This space has become a fundamental pillar for rehabilitation, technical management, ex situ conservation of native wildlife, and the reintegration of animals into nature.

Chocolate Cora: Sweetness That Protects Habitats and Supports Families

Conservation cannot be sustained if it does not offer viable alternatives to local populations. Based on this principle, Chocolate Cora was created as an agroecological initiative of the foundation, showing that human development and the protection of nature can go hand in hand.

This project promotes a more conscious form of production, connecting the work of local producers with an environmental and social cause that seeks to generate a positive impact in the territory.

Corre La Voz Program: Economic Autonomy for Women

Fundación Mateus understands that women are a powerful engine of change in urban, rural, and suburban communities. That is why it strongly promotes the Corre La Voz program, an initiative designed to strengthen the capacities of women entrepreneurs.

The program is based on a powerful idea: supporting a woman entrepreneur can also create a chain of positive impact in her community and in the conservation of Ecuadorian biodiversity.

WASARA Seal: Promoting Corporate Responsibility

The foundation’s impact also extends to the corporate sector through the creation of the WASARA Seal. This certification was designed to recognize and validate companies that assume a real and measurable commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

The WASARA Seal encourages Ecuadorian industries to:

• Adopt clean supply chains that respect wildlife.
• Reduce their ecological footprint in fragile ecosystems.
• Finance and give visibility to active conservation projects in the country.

An Integral Conservation Model in Ecuador

What Fundación Mateus does for endangered animals in Ecuador goes far beyond traditional rescue work. By connecting the technical management of Jardín Alado with the community development of Chocolate Cora, the women’s empowerment work of Corre La Voz, and the corporate commitment promoted by the WASARA Seal, the foundation is building a social framework capable of protecting the country’s biodiversity in the long term.

With this model, Fundación Mateus demonstrates that conservation also means educating, creating opportunities, and building sustainable alliances so that wildlife and communities can thrive together.

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Join us in protecting our ecosystems

At Fundación Mateus, we work to rescue, rehabilitate, and protect wild species while also promoting environmental education and a more conscious relationship with the fauna that forms part of our surroundings.

Supporting this work is a concrete way to contribute to ecosystem balance and to the protection of the species that sustain it. You can help by making a donation that directly strengthens our rescue and rehabilitation programs, visiting Jardín Alado to learn more about our work, or joining as a volunteer to actively participate in conservation efforts in Ecuador.

Every contribution helps give more wild animals a second chance and encourages more people to become allies in their protection.

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