{"id":463289,"date":"2026-02-07T00:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T00:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/463289\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T00:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T00:04:10","slug":"an-ecuadorian-family-works-to-save-endangered-plants-in-the-amazon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/463289\/","title":{"rendered":"An Ecuadorian family works to save endangered plants in the Amazon"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALTO ILA, Ecuador (AP) \u2014 On a recent journey into the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle<\/a>, Ram\u00f3n Pucha realized he was being trailed. Fresh puma tracks now lined the path alongside his own footprints. Unfazed, he continued his trek, focused entirely on the precious cargo he carried \u2014 seeds from some of the world\u2019s most endangered plant species.<\/p>\n

Pucha and his family have spent years recreating their own piece of jungle with rescued species on a 32-hectare farm called El Picaflor in the Indigenous Quichua community of Alto Ila, 128 kilometers (80 miles) southeast of the capital, Quito.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a passion for nature, for plants, for animals,\u201d said Pucha, 51, noting that his drive to protect the environment is so intense that many people in his community consider him \u201ccrazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Ramon<\/p>\n

Ramon Pucha, his son Jhoel, and his wife Marlene cross the Alto Ila River during an expedition to search for native seeds to grow on their farm, where they preserve species and share seedlings with neighboring communities in an effort to protect biodiversity, in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Ramon Pucha, his son Jhoel, and his wife Marlene cross the Alto Ila River during an expedition to search for native seeds to grow on their farm, where they preserve species and share seedlings with neighboring communities in an effort to protect biodiversity, in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

To save endangered plant species, Pucha ventures deep into the jungle, often alone, for up to five days at a time. On more than one occasion, he said he returned empty-handed because \u2014 as a consequence of climate change<\/a> and severe droughts across the region<\/a> \u2014 many of the large trees had stopped producing seeds annually.<\/p>\n

Once the seeds reach home, Pucha\u2019s wife, Marlene Chiluisa, takes charge. She plants them in suitable soil and compost so that they can begin to grow into plants that are then replanted in the rainforest. The family even shares the fruits of their labor, selling or gifting a percentage of the plants to neighbors committed to forest regeneration.<\/p>\n

Jhoel, the couple\u2019s 21-year-old son, has stepped into his father\u2019s role as the family\u2019s successor. An expert botanist, he moves through the forest identifying plants by their common, traditional and scientific names with ease. He also serves as a guide, ferrying visitors across the turbulent Ila River in a precarious craft made of wooden planks lashed to a buoy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Ramon<\/p>\n

Ramon Pucha, his wife Marlene, and their son Jhoel collect fish from a pond on their farm, which they\u2019ve turned into a conservation site to preserve native species and promote sustainable food practices, in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, Tuesday, FEb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Ramon Pucha, his wife Marlene, and their son Jhoel collect fish from a pond on their farm, which they\u2019ve turned into a conservation site to preserve native species and promote sustainable food practices, in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, Tuesday, FEb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Yet, for all their effort, the family\u2019s struggle remains a solitary one.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody gives us any incentive\u2014not the government, not foundations, not anyone,\u201d said Chiluisa. <\/p>\n

Ecuador\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock recognizes the importance of the family\u2019s work, calling El Picaflor a \u201cliving laboratory\u201d and a vital seed bank in an area scarred by 50 years of constant logging<\/a>. <\/p>\n

But while Ecuador was the first country to enshrine the \u201crights of nature\u201d in its constitution<\/a>, that reputation is now at risk. Environmentalists and Indigenous groups warn that President Daniel Noboa\u2019s decision to merge the Ministry of Environment with the Ministry of Energy and Mines threatens the very landscape the family is fighting to save.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Ramon<\/p>\n

Ramon Pucha shows seeds and plant materials he has collected from the forest near his family farm in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, where he grows native species and shares seedlings with neighboring communities in an effort to preserve local species, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Ramon Pucha shows seeds and plant materials he has collected from the forest near his family farm in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, where he grows native species and shares seedlings with neighboring communities in an effort to preserve local species, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

\u2018That is my legacy\u2019<\/p>\n

As he walks across the property that was once barren pastureland, Pucha pauses to observe the plants, describing the unique purpose of each one.<\/p>\n

His eyes light up as he points to a small, growing tree, which he says is now rare in the area \u2014 a type of fine wood that will reach maturity in 100 years. Though he knows he will never see it fully grown, he remains committed to his mission. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is my legacy for my children and for humanity,\u201d he says, noting that these species are essential to the Amazon\u2019s survival, serving as medicine for humans and a food source for the animals that naturally replant the forest.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A beetle stands on a leaf on the family farm of Ramon Pucha, which he has turned into a conservation site to preserve native species and promote biodiversity, in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

A beetle stands on a leaf on the family farm of Ramon Pucha, which he has turned into a conservation site to preserve native species and promote biodiversity, in Alto Ila, in Ecuador\u2019s Amazon region, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Dolores Ochoa)<\/p>\n

Add AP News on Google <\/p>\n

Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.<\/p>\n

Share<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Follow AP\u2019s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/latin-america<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALTO ILA, Ecuador (AP) \u2014 On a recent journey into the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, Ram\u00f3n Pucha realized he…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463290,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[32977,64,63,65239,2791,17881,68,51760,25196,20558,75,482,2186,237585,14160,237587,237586,128,224294,11298,1346],"class_list":{"0":"post-463289","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-amazon-river","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-botany","12":"tag-central-america","13":"tag-climate-and-environment","14":"tag-climate-change","15":"tag-daniel-noboa","16":"tag-ecuador","17":"tag-endangered-species","18":"tag-environment","19":"tag-general-news","20":"tag-latin-america","21":"tag-marlene-chiluisa","22":"tag-plants","23":"tag-rain-forests","24":"tag-ramn-pucha","25":"tag-science","26":"tag-send-to-apple-news","27":"tag-south-america","28":"tag-world-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463289"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463289\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}