1. Spectacled Bear Makes Return to Reserve in Ecuador….

2. Can you find out four facts about the Spectacled Bear?

3. DID YOU KNOW? I don’t wear glasses – The white coloured fur around my eyes makes it look like I do! I am native to South America – you won’t find me anywhere else! An adult female bear could give birth to 1 or 2 cubs at a time after being pregnant for 8 to 8½ months I am the smallest amongst bears and still an endangered species I’m a master at climbing trees and mostly feed on nuts, fruits and leaves. Sometimes, I may eat small animals like deer too.

4. Spectacled Bear Makes Return to Reserve in Ecuador…. A family of Spectacled Bears have been spotted just a few hundred yards from the Maquipucuna lodge, located in one of the largest private reserves in Ecuador. This is the first time in nearly eight years that bears have been spotted in the area. The local people who have long been sympathetic to the bears’ needs were extremely excited by the spotting. The translation of ‘Maquipucuna’ is ‘gentle hand’ and this definitely describes the attitude of the people towards their rainforest. The lodge opened in 1998 with the aim of protecting the forest through education, eco tourism and growing crops. The area around the lodge is a wildlife ‘hotspot’, one of only two in Ecuador and thirty five in the World.

5. The owners of the lodge work with local people to develop their skills e.g. tourist guides. Money raised goes directly back to the locals who use it to help preserve and protect the forest. Recycling is very important and all food is grown locally and organically with very little impact on the environment. The lodge was designed to blend in with the surroundings – only wood and other natural materials were used. Cleaning equipment used in the lodge is biodegradable. Schools from Quito (Ecuador’s capital city) visit to learn about sustainability and the role of the forest.

6. Hedgehog numbers are falling in Wales. Some estimates suggest that they will be gone from the country by 2025! Think about the actions of the people at Maquipucuna lodge. Are there any of their actions that you can follow? Why not develop a nature reserve in your school grounds? How can you reduce your impact on your local environment? www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/schools Celebrate the diversity of plants and animals in your area!