The Lalo Loor Dry Forest continues to take great strides towards becoming an entirely locally-run reserve, announcing the launch of their new website this week. Now renamed Reserva Lalo Loor, the reserve’s 450 forested acres are managed today by Mariela Loor, daughter of the forest owner Mr. Lalo Loor. Mariela, in partnership with Ceiba staff who continue to lead on-site education and research programs, has already opened the reserve to school groups, training seminars, and other visitors under strict protocols to ensure everyone’s safety. The reserve’s new website showcases the reserves offerings, including miles of hiking trails, fantastic opportunities to view rare and unique wildlife, and comfortable overnight facilities available to tourists or education groups.
The Ceiba Foundation has worked for years to protect the reserve’s wildife, catalogue the diversity found there, safeguard the forest from illegal logging, and cultivate a sustainble income stream. As with our first conservation project, the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, our goal has always been to hand off management of the reserve to the local owners. In this way, both sites serve as models for people across their respective regions that forest protection can go hand-in-hand with income generation, and support hardworking families while conserving native plants and animals. We encourage everyone to visit the newly reopened Reserva Lalo Loor, and enjoy the sights and sounds of a truly unique coastal tropical forest.