Hotel Guests Help Discover Two New Species at a Luxury Ecuador Eco-Lodge

Take it or Leave it?

Traveling has never been trickier. Ecuador, a country straddling the equator, is 1/35th the size of the United States. However, it has 20% more animal and plant species.

. Researchers at luxury Ecuador Eco-Lodge, Mashpi Lodge, have discovered several new species over the years, with their ninth and tenth new species discoveries announced this spring and summer, respectively.

Travelers visiting Ecuador have the opportunity to stay in a 24-room luxury eco-lodge a three-hour drive from the city of Quito, on Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve, a 2,500-hectare (over 6,177 acres) protected area.

A 5-Star Hotel in the Clouds With a Purpose

The lodge has several resident researchers – parabiologists – and draws international scholars and environmentalists who come to Masphi to work in the reserve.

New Species Discovered by Mashpi Lodge

A newly discovered epiphyte – a plant that grows on other plants, like orchids and bromeliads – is unique in its leaf pattern.

Intricate Fluidifolia Plant

The ninth species discovered by Mashpi Lodge researchers was the Hyalinobatrachium mashpi glass frog, announced in April.

Mashpi Glass Frog

The money guests pay to stay at the lodge helps Mashpi hire and accommodate resident researchers and supports its conservation efforts.

Guests Help Finance Conservation Effort

No matter a guest’s level of physical ability, they can partake in various activities at Mashpi Lodge. This allows them to be immersed in their surroundings and potentially see over 400 species of birds, trees, frogs, and more in the Chocó-Andean forest.

Guests Get Entangled With the Tropical Forest

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