What We Do

EcoLogic works with communities to foster sustainable livelihoods and protect biodiversity.  We aim to conserve unique landscapes in Central America and Mexico by putting rural communities in charge of managing local natural resources.  By working with local partners we are helping communities become better environmental stewards of their land.

Our Five Areas of Focus:

• Water Resource Management
  
• Forest Conservation
  
• CarbonPlus Program
• Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES)
  
• Sustainable Livelihood Alternatives

Water Resource Management
In Central America, only 21% of the freshwater available in 1950 remains today. This decline is due to extensive deforestation and a lack of economic incentives for sustainable land use. We work with community led water committees to protect their water sources through watershed management.   

Forest Conservation
Through reforestation, Protected Areas (PA) management plans, the installation of fuel efficient wood stoves, the establishment of agroforestry plots that reduce carbon emissions and increase crop yields, the training of "forest guardians" and park rangers, and more we aim to turn the tide on deforestation.

CarbonPlus Program
Forest loss and degradation are major contributors to global climate change and constitute the second largest source of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions after fossil fuel combustion. By using carbon profits as incentives for communities to decrease pressure on forests, the program simultaneously conserves biodiversity and important ecosystems, increases forest carbon stocks, and strengthens rural communities.

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES)
A voluntary transaction where the provider of an environmental service is compensated by a buyer for continuously securing the provision of that service.  In other words, the buyer compensates the provider for protecting the environment and ensuring that an ecosystem service will continue to exist.

Sustainable Livelihood Alternatives
We understand that lack of alternatives is a major reason the rural poor degrade natural resources.  EcoLogic works to promote sustainable agriculture, non-timber forest products and community enterprise.  We are working to provide these alternative opportunities that improve individual and community well-being.

EcoLogic is a not-for-profit environmental organization that empowers rural and indigenous peoples to restore and protect tropical ecosystems. We help communities identify and put in place a variety of strategies to increase their economic self-sufficiency, environmental health, and adaptability in response to climate change in ways that also encourage the long-term survival of the biodiversity around them.