Eric Horstman Email & Phone Number

Ely, Nv, Us

The Bioeducar Ecological Foundation´s mission is to promote conservation and management of Ecuador´s natural resources through programs and projects in environmental education, participative planning and interpretation directed to both urban and rural communities especially on the Ecuadorian coast and focusing on mangrove and dry tropical forest ecosystems and has successfully carried out projects with the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment, USAID, World Wildlife Fund Ecuador, Conservation International among other organizations.

Carried out forest fire combat training for park guards and community forest fire brigade members in three protected areas in Bolivia. Researched and wrote forest fire operative plans for community forest fire brigades.

Working to protect and restore ecosystems in the Great Basin region through collaborative actions with state and federal agencies as well as private landowners, including supporting noxious weed management (CWMA´s), restoring forest fire affected areas through seed planting and monitoring as well as carrying out compliance monitoring of mines and other development projects through Eco Serve West.

Gland, Vaud, Ch

I am the focal person for the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas in Ecuador and serve to coordinate actions with the WCPA and its Ecuadorian members as well as promote the WCPA and protected areas in general.

I have served on the board of several Ecuadorian conservation organisations including Fundacion Bioeducar which carries out environmental education and community development in coastal communities especially mangroves in Ecuador, Aves y Conservacion which is the Birdlife partrner in Ecuador and works to protect the more than 1,600 species in country, and the Ecuadorian Ecotourism Association.

Provided technical assistance focusing on identifying potential funding sources for future projects on land management for conservation for endangered macaw and parrot species. Researched, wrote and obtained funding for a forest fire prevention project in Bolivia. Assessed on-going reforestation program in fenced in goat-free areas on Bonaire and provided technical assistance on future steps to take to protect and restore the native forests on the island.

Providing technical assistance to the Fundacion Pro Bosque in protected area management, dry tropical forest restoration.

I headed up a Ecuadorian non profit conservation organization that focuses on the administration of the 6,000 hectare Cerro Blanco Protected Forest. I plan and carry programs in control and vigilance, dry forest restoration, environmental education/interpretation, endangered species conservation programs focusing on the Great Green Macaw, Ecuadorian Amazon and Jaguar, community development and investigation. We work with several stakeholders and partners including the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment, Municipality of Guayaquil, World Land Trust, The Netherlands Committee of the IUCN, Chester Zoo and The Nature Conservancy. I manage a yearly budget of around $500,000. I lead a permanent staff of 21 Ecuadorians including a small and efficient administrative staff, park guards and forest restoration workers. Major achievements so far has included the designation of the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest as Ecuador's second Important Bird Area and first Important Bat Conservation Area, the designation by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism as a Tourism Site of Special Interest and the designation of the Great Green Macaw as the city of Guayaquil's natural symbol. I also spearheaded the preparation of the Great Green Macaw National Conservation Strategy and its implementation among members of the working group and more than 150,000 visitors too date. I have successfully defended a vulnerable protected area for more than 28 years against the onslaught of land traffickers, hunters and tree cutters as well as forest fires with the support of a dedicated group of park guards and members of the Environmental Unit of the National Police. I have led the successful restoration of 647 hectares of dry tropical forest as well as the plating of more than a million seeds of native tree species over a two year period with the support of The Body Shop and World Land Trust. We have purchased and protected 500+ ha of land with support of the WLT, Netherlands Committee IUCN.

Gland, Vaud, Ch

I have worked as a consultant for a number of private and governmental organisations in Ecuador including an evaluation of management effectiveness in nine protected forests in Guayas Province, co/writing the management plan for La Tembladera, a RAMSAR site in El Oro Province, the regulation for the sustainable management of dry tropical forest forest in Ecuador, interpretative designs and forest fire prevention, detection and control plan for the Manglares-Churute National Ecological Reserve, and national forest fire planning for Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia through the IUCN Project Firefight, Forest Fire Plan.

Planned and coordinated workshops to prepare the Great Green Macaw National Conservation Strategy. I also achieved the inclusion of the national conservation strategy as official policy of the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment and the designation of the Great Green Macaw as the natural symbol of the city of Guayaquil by the municipality. I am working with other members to implement the conservation strategy including reinsertation of macaws to bolster the wild population, community environmental education and scientific studies. Achievements to date include the designation of the Great Green Macaw as the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest's symbol in 1993 and the city of Guayaquil's in 2005. More than 700 hectares of habitat restores with 700,000 native dry forest trees, 24/7 protection and successful fledgeling of 6 chicks threatened by hunters, five adult birds released into the wild to bolster local population, weekly patrols and protection of 6,000 ha. of protected forest, more than 20,000 local residents contacted through environmental education program featuring educational materials including a video, posters, games, etc. A total of 25 honorary park wardens trained from local communities to help protect Great Green Macaws.

I supervised the work of eight staff members in one national and two regional offices of the agroforestry network focusing on the planning and implementation of training programs to build capacity in member organisations and agroforestry technical management among more than 70 member institutions nationwide. Achievements include the implementation of the Servicio Metodologico in conjunction with a cooperant from the German Service DED, agroforestry training modules developed and used through the Consorcio Camaren at a national level, the successful planning and carrying out of the Third Annual National Agroforestry Congress in Guayaquil with more than 250 participants nationwide, the opening of a office in Guayaquil and support for the office in Loja.

I researched and wrote the initial management guidelines and land use zoning system for the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest. I also designed and supervised the construction of interpretative trails, signboards and other related infrastructure in Podocarpus and Sangay National Parks. Instructor in interpretative design, national training program park guards under the auspices of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Agriculture and Fundacion Natura.

I selected and trained a group of volunteer wilderness patrol members. I also prepared and carried out patrol schedules to insure maximum coverage of key areas within the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area. I planned and carried out backcountry visitor forest fire and litter prevention campaigns, trail rehabilitation and endangered species monitoring. I also worked as a backcountry forest fire fighter including the Siege of 87 which affected forest land throughout the Pacific Northwest.

I worked to investigate, design and write the texts of environmental education materials for use with the Ecuadorian residents living in the Galapagos Islands. I also prepared and gave talks to visitors at the Van Straelen Hall and documented introduced species control work in the field.

Master Of Arts (M.A.), Zoology/Animal Biology

Master Of Science (M.Sc.), Natural Resources Management And Policy

Ba, International Conservation

Journalism