About Us
EcoLogic works with poor, rural communities to help them become better environmental stewards in order to save their forests and water and improve their living conditions. We put local people in charge of projects, providing them with the tools they need to sustainably manage their natural resources. EcoLogic currently operates in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama.
EcoLogic was established in 1993 in order to conserve the planet's diminishing diversity of life in a way that addresses the needs of local people. Given that the world's poorest people live in some of the most biologically diverse areas, EcoLogic saw a need to help the poor to meet their needs while protecting the habitats of the surrounding landscape. Conventional approaches to conservation at the time did not always take into account the needs of the people living in and around endangered lands. In its efforts to address the underlying social and economic causes of habitat loss, EcoLogic was founded on the belief that local participation is not only socially just, but it is also essential for the effective long-term conservation of threatened habitats.
EcoLogic conserves unique landscapes by putting poor, rural communities in charge of managing local natural resources and helping them become environmental stewards. To achieve this aim, we:
- strengthen community leadership to care for the environment at the local level;
- provide technical and financial assistance to communities and local organizations; and
- bridge local initiatives with national and international resources.
Our efforts are focused on four core initiatives:
- Water resource management, for the protection of drinking water sources and marine habitats;
- Forest conservation, through improved management, reforestation, and reduced consumption of firewood;
- Payment for environmental services, that offers compensation to communities for conserving critical habitats; and
- Sustainable livelihood alternatives, which encourage efficient use of natural resources.
Our approach is to design and implement projects that meet the needs and priorities of the local people. An essential element of this approach is to partner with local organizations that reflect the values and interests of the communities. This helps us to adapt our work to the people and culture of the area and promotes the long-term sustainability of projects by establishing local leadership that can perpetuate our efforts. In developing new projects with partners, EcoLogic begins by talking with the communities. These participatory consultations are conducted by EcoLogic field staff and determine the appropriate interventions for dealing with the specific socioeconomic and environmental issues of each location. EcoLogic's local field staff then work with community leaders and local organizations to develop and implement projects that strengthen community institutions, foster local environmental stewardship, and protect and restore critical natural resources. Furthermore, EcoLogic extends its efforts to new areas by linking partners and hosting learning exchanges that help communities to learn from the experiences of others and gain access to new tools, resources, and knowledge. In addition to the social, economic and environmental benefits of our projects, our work serves to build the capacity of communities to advocate for themselves and to empower vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous peoples.