PERIBUELA: A PROUD AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY

Peribuela is a small agricultural community of about 450 indigenous people of pre-Inca Caranqui descent located at 2450 meters (8085 feet) on the northeastern flank of the Cotacachi Volcano in Imbabura Province.

Like most agricultural communities in modern Ecuador, Peribuela was a hacienda until the land reforms of the 1960s. With the land redistribution that resulted from the reforms, the people of Peribuela have gradually been able to improve their quality of life through the control of crop planning and sales, crop diversification, and successfully lobbying the government for electricity, irrigation, and a primary school. Still, people in Peribuela are very poor and most of the community's young people leave for Quito, Spain, or the USA to search for work.

Seeing the need for new forms of economic development in the community, the people of Peribuela began to develop an eco-tourism project to create jobs and capital that can be reinvested in development projects.

The result was the establishment of the Bosque Primario Peribuela, a 1040 hectare stand, 330 of which isold- growth, native Andean forest. This is one of the last patches of ancient, high-altitude forest left in the Andes and contains many endangered tree species such as Pumamaqui and Guatze, dozens of orchid species and abundant bird-life. The forest also serves as an important habitat corridor between remnant patches of mountain forest ecosystem and the high altitude páramo grasslands.

With the help of CASA Interamericana the community has converted the old hacienda into a rustic and beautiful hotel and restaurant to accomodate guests.

Within the forest, the community has constructed a large choza (traditional Andean grass roofed structure) that can accommodate large groups for meals and presentations, and two interpretive trails (2 and 4 hours) that community guides use to teach visitors about the natural history of the area. Peribuela also has a fantastic performance group that presents folkloric dance, music and theater.

Besides conserving a remnant of this extremely important ecosystem, the eco-tourism project is providing jobs and community capital for the people of Peribuela. An elected eco-tourism board manages the project democratically and all capital (besides the salary of the guides) is directly reinvested in community development initiatives.

Plans for the near-future also include the construction of several eco-cabins deep within the forest and the establishment of community-run orchid and native tree nurseries as economic development projects. There is also an ongoing reforestation project on communal lands using native, high-altitude species.