The Jama-Coaque Reserve (JCR) is a private rainforest preserve in coastal Ecuador that protects one of the last major remnants of the Pacific Forest of Ecuador, one of the world’s most threatened tropical ecosystems. Established in 2007 by Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) and managed in partnership with the community of Camarones, the reserve currently covers nearly 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) and serves as the ecological nucleus of the larger Capuchin Corridor conservation initiative.
Located in the Jama-Coaque mountain range of Manabí Province, the reserve spans an exceptional diversity of habitats, including premontane cloud forest and seasonal moist evergreen forest. Its unique geography—where coastal mountains rise steeply just a few kilometers from the Pacific Ocean—creates a remarkable concentration of biodiversity within a relatively small area. The reserve lies within the globally important Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena Biodiversity Hotspot and protects the headwaters of the Camarones River and numerous streams that provide water to surrounding farming communities.
The reserve is named after the ancient Jama-Coaque civilization, which flourished in the region from approximately 355 BCE until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Archaeological artifacts, including ceramic fragments and pottery, have been discovered within the reserve, providing a tangible connection to the area’s pre-Columbian history.
JCR began with the purchase of a single 100-acre property by TMA’s founders, who initially lived in tents while learning the landscape and building relationships with local residents. Over the following years, the reserve expanded through the acquisition and integration of 30 separate properties, most of which had been owned by absentee landowners. A bamboo-built research station known as the Bamboo House became the operational center of the reserve and remains a hub for research, conservation, and education.
The reserve experiences a tropical monsoon climate shaped by the interaction of the El Niño and Humboldt ocean currents. Seasonal shifts in rainfall and temperature create distinct wet and dry seasons, while persistent cloud cover at higher elevations contributes additional moisture through fog drip, sustaining the cloud forests and their unique ecological communities.
Beyond protecting existing forest, the Jama-Coaque Reserve plays a central role in regional conservation and restoration efforts. It supports scientific research, biodiversity monitoring, environmental education, and regenerative agroforestry programs that help local farmers restore degraded land through diversified cacao-based farming systems. These initiatives provide sustainable livelihoods while helping reconnect fragmented forest habitats across the landscape.
Today, the Jama-Coaque Reserve stands as a model for community-based conservation in Ecuador. By combining land protection, ecological research, watershed conservation, sustainable agriculture, and local partnerships, it safeguards a critical refuge for wildlife while advancing a long-term vision of restoring connectivity across the Pacific Forest through the Capuchin Corridor.