One rare bird sparked 30 years of forest coming back to life in Ecuador

Nearly three decades ago, a rare bird found in Ecuador inspired a conservation effort that has since grown into 19 nature reserves. The Jocotoco Foundation now safeguards about 50,000 hectares of reserves plus 82,000 hectares of partner land, sheltering more than 1,350 bird species — four-fifths of Ecuador's birdlife. At the Canandé reserve, land once cleared by logging has regrown to recover 90% of its original animal life, proof that forests given time — and protection — can come back.