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5. MEETING VENUE

Quito is one of the most picturesque capital cities of the Andean world. Surrounded by tall mountains covered with high Andean forests encroached with Páramo grasslands, the eastern cordillera offers pertinent examples of conservation connectivity and priorities for management of protected areas. Nested in a hanging valley towards the Amazon verdant, in the watershed of the Quijos River basin, close to the snow pack volcano Antisana and lake Rumikucha, the colonial-aged town of Papallacta (from Kichwa: parcel of potatoes) stand as witness of the human impact on tropical mountain ecosystems and their conservation needs For a description of the area, please see the 2003 issue of Parks

In the surrounding slopes of the town, a mountain resort has been built to benefit visitors from the crisp mountain air, the beautiful landscape and particularly the geothermal energy that names the venue: Termas de Papallacta (Papallacta’s hotsprings).  Visitors can enjoy hot baths in private cabins or share with others in swimming pools.  The contrast of the hot water from the volcano and the cold breeze at 3700 m above sea level is a challenging experience for those young at heart.  Please consider the weather (often sunny days and misty afternoons) in rainy Novembers to enjoy the most of your stay in Papallacta.

A windproof/impermeable parka will be a good idea, along with walking boots, sunglasses, and sun protection for the field trips.  To better comprehend the connectivity issues, field visits to the highlands as well as to the lowlands are organized.  Altitudinal dynamics, as well as longitudinal corridors, will be analyzed on site.  Please bring enough stamina for discussions, a field notebook, memory cards (or film) and batteries for plenty of photo opportunities.

6.  CONTACTS

Website: http://www.mountains-wcpa.org/

For general questions and discussion content: Fausto O. Sarmiento fsarmien@uga.edu

For registration and payments for the Workshop and field trips: Paulina Arroyo parroyo@tnc.org

Registration costs include: Transportation from/to Quito, Workshop accommodation, Workshop meals and Field trips during the workshop. A total payment of  US$ 222.50.will be required on site, upon arrival to the venue.  Major credit cards are accepted at Termas de Papallacta Resort. For hotel, in-country transportation and accommodation: Silvia Benitez sbenitez@tnc.org

For airlines and international travel information: Marina Cracco areas-protegidas@sur.iucn.org

For pre or post Workshop field trips

A series of field excursions have been organized for those participants arriving earlier or staying after the workshop to travel in Ecuador

7.  FLIGHTS AND HOTELS

International flights arrive to the Quito airport mid-afternoon to midnight, depending on the country of origin and the airline. There is a plethora of accommodation choices in Quito, but we have selected those closer to the location of the UCN Regional Sur Office. Corporate discount can be offered via IUCN if reservations of more than 10 people are done in the same hotel.

For reservations, and in/out transfers from the Airport to Hotels please contact Mr. Jack Rodríguez Please indicate that the reservation is related to the Mountains Connectivity Meeting.

HOTEL JW MARRIOT HOTEL QUITO--4 Stars--$159/night

HOTEL LA CAROLINA HOWARD JOHNSON--2 Stars--$79-$89/night

HOSTAL LA CAROLINA--1 Star--$45/night

HOSTAL LOS ALPES--$55-60/night

Tel. (593) 542 472 Fax (593) 222 744. 

8. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENT

Every participant is responsible to organize its own transportation needs from the country of origin to Ecuador, arriving to Quito on November 13^th. Once in Ecuador, HOTURIS will provide transfers shuttle from the Quito International Airport “Mariscal Sucre” to the hotels. For those arriving in other dates, reliable taxi service from the Airport to the hotel runs for US$5. No need to change currency at the airport, since the US dollars are the national currency in Ecuador.

9. VISA REQUIREMENTS

To visit Ecuador for up-to-three months visas are not required for most countries. Please verify at the Travel Agency if visas are needed at the time of traveling. Carrying a copy of the letter of invitation handy will be a good idea. For some countries (including Brazil and several African states) proof of yellow fever vaccination will be necessary.

10. WORKSHOP LANGUAGE

English will be the language at the Workshop, as it is also for the manuscripts for the book. Ecuadorian Spanish is the national language of the country and will be handy for participants on field trips. A quick list of basic conservation lexicon and mountain geography in Spanish can be accessed at: http://www.ensayistas.org/critica/ecologia/diccionario/cm.htm

WCPA Mountains Biome Executive:

•  Graeme Worboys.  Vice Chair for Mountains.
•  Lawrence S. Hamilton.  Senior Advisor and Editor of Update.
•  Linda McMillan. Deputy Vice Chair for Mountains-Publicity, Communications
•  Mingma Sherpa. Deputy Vice Chair for Mountains-Conservation.
•  Fausto O. Sarmiento. Deputy Vice Chair for Mountains-Capacity Building

Steering Committee:

 

National Organizing Committee: