Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation

Ceiba connects people and nature, saving tropical species and habitats while helping communities improve their lives and livelihoods. Our approach keeps land in local hands by emphasizing conservation easements and financial incentives to promote sustainable land stewardship. Our Mission and Vision

We at Ceiba envision a world where people and biodiversity thrive because of each other; a world wh

ere the value of nature is recognized, and its conservation is understood as being inextricably connected to human wellbeing. Our mission is to:

Connect tropical nature and sustainable livelihoods through habitat conservation and environmental education

or the Spanish version:
Conectar los ecosistemas tropicales con medios de vida sostenibles a través de la conservación de la biodiversidad y la educación ambiental

Ceiba is dedicated to the conservation of tropical habitats and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods. We protect rare and endangered plants and animals, and bolster the value that tropical ecosystems provide to rural communities. Our strategy is to establish locally-operated nature reserves, promote public education, sponsor scientific research, promote and support community-based sustainability. We emphasize projects which promote the empowerment of local landowners and communities, and encourage them to actively participate in the sustainable management of their land. We work primarily in Ecuador, with an emphasis on the threatened coastal dry forests and the hyper-diverse cloud forests of the Andes. Our name is taken from the Ceiba tree (pronounced "SAY-ba"), a giant emergent of tropical forests, that provides a home for scores of plants and animals in its lofty and epiphyte-laden canopy. With their impressive size, and unique shape, the tree is often left uncut when the forest around them is cleared. The Ceiba thus symbolizes human's reverence for nature. They hold a place in Mayan mythology. The seeds of Ceiba trees are surrounded by silky fibers known as "kapok" that have been used in the past to stuff life preservers. Synonyms for the Ceiba tree are the Kapok tree or Silk Cotton tree.