The Aula Viva Ecological Clubs work with children and youth in the watersheds of the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot in northwestern Ecuador.

The purpose of this project is to train future environmental leaders through:

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• Field trips to ecologically important areas of Ecuador

• Water quality monitoring in the Intag River watershed

• Bird and plant identification

• Use of medicinal plants

• Understanding the cloud forest ecosystem and the hydrological cycle

• Understanding the relationship between an intact ecosystem and food and water security

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In 2019, CASA founded the Toabunchi Ecological Club to promote environmental education among the children of Pucará and Santa Rosa in the Intag River Valley. Local children rarely understand or appreciate the extraordinary biodiversity that surrounds them. Our goal was to help them recognize the importance of these megadiverse forests for the world and for long-term sustainable economic development.

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We began with field outings to explore the forests, waterfalls, rivers, and mountains of our territory. We then explained how the cloud forest ecosystem works and the connection between intact forests, water security, and food security. This process continued with workshops that helped the children identify local flora and fauna. Finally, we implemented a water quality monitoring program through which participants learned to interpret nitrogen levels, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, pH, and fecal coliform counts to identify possible sources of contamination.

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The program was so successful that, by 2025, the club guides formed their own legal organization, the Aula Vida Environmental Education Collective, and we expanded the project to include nine additional clubs, reaching a total of 18—each representing a river within the Intag River macro-watershed and surrounding areas. The organization of these new clubs was carried out with the support of APT Norte and Corporación Toisán.

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Future plans include systematizing water quality information into a shared-access database; acquiring ponchos, boots, T-shirts, and first-aid kits for the clubs; ensuring ongoing funding for transportation and meals during field trips; and maintaining continuous environmental education workshops for the guides.

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