ECOAN
ECOAN is Acción Andina’s lead administrative, conservation and coordinating partner. Founded in 2001, Asociacion Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) is a Peruvian Cusco-based conservation nonprofit. ECOAN’s successful model of community reforestation and forest stewardship is the inspiration and foundation for Acción Andina. ECOAN provides long-term protection and restoration of threatened Andean ecosystems in partnership with local communities and authorities through land protection and management, reforestation, community engagement, applied science, and the development of long-term funding mechanisms for projects.
Restoration Leaders
Constantino Aucca
Constantino (Tino) Aucca, President of Asociacion Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), co-founded the Peruvian conservation nonprofit in 2001. Under his leadership, indigenous communities have successfully planted more than three million native trees. Recognizing that benefits are powerful incentives in developing a community consensus and commitment to conservation, Tino continues to lead efforts to empower communities to secure title to their lands, provide medical supplies, construct vegetable greenhouses, deliver solar electricity and water heaters, build tourism infrastructure, and improve the marketing of textiles to tourists. He has also enabled many high Andes communities to reduce demand for firewood from Polylepis forests by providing fuel-efficient stoves and alternative sources of fuel.
Gregorio Ferro Meza
Gregorio, a biologist, graduated from Cusco’s Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad. He has participated in multiple expeditions to study endangered species with international scientists while working to restore fragile ecosystems in Peru. For Acción Andina, Gregorio coordinates reforestation activities with indigenous communities of the central Vilcanota-Urubamba mountain range. These include reforestation campaigns such as the annual “Queuña Raymi” tree-planting festival.
Magaly Roca Rozas
Magaly, an agricultural engineer, graduated from Cusco’s Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad. She is a specialist in the production of native plants for forestry and agroforestry. Her work focuses on the development and implementation of nurseries in the Vilcanota project. Magaly’s responsibilities include advising community organizations how to promote ecotourism and supporting agricultural communities in the fight against poverty.
Jhon Cansaya
Jhon directs the conservation and ecosystem services project of Polylepis forests of the Vilcanota mountain range. His work with ECOAN consists of evaluating the water balance in six forests in the region, as well as estimating carbon deposits in these native forests. Jhon studied at the Faculty of Biological Sciences at Cusco’s Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad, specializing in the ecology of high altitude forests.