Nature and Culture International

At Nature and Culture International, we work in close and collaborative partnership with rural and indigenous communities to conserve diverse and fragile ecosystems and develop and support sustainable ways of life. For more than 20 years, we have successfully implemented a locally-based conservation model resulting in the legal protection of more than 21 million acres of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Latin America. In the process, we have helped save thousands of irreplaceable plant and animal species, mitigate climate change through carbon storage and sequestration, and secure clean water and other benefits for hundreds of thousands of people. We have also increased the income of 300 local communities through sustainable development activities.

We have 70 program staff in nine offices in Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico; with additional projects in Bolivia, Colombia, and Brazil through partner organizations. A small international team handles accounting and administration, marketing, communications and development. They are located in Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and the United States (mainly at our US headquarters in San Diego).

Our organizational budget in 2021 is $5.2 million. Since its founding, Nature and Culture has prided itself on its nimble and effective work and entrepreneurial spirit, ushering funds from generous donors, primarily in the US, to protect irreplaceable natural areas in Latin America. Nature and Culture’s philosophy during its first 25 years has been to keep overhead as low as practical to maximize work in the field, racing against the tide of deforestation and habitat destruction.

Nature and Culture’s Values

Our values are important to us. They are core to who we are and we strive to live them in everything that we do.

• Bottom-up. We pursue conservation that is locally driven, primarily by indigenous and rural communities and subnational governments whom we treat as partners and equals. This means a commitment to active listening. It means promoting a staff culture where everyone (junior and senior staff alike) has a voice.

• Funds to the field. We recognize that robust administration, financial management, development and marketing are key to our success, and we strive for efficiency with a small international team so we direct the lion's share of funds to the field where the magic happens.

• Commitment. Design and implement programs with the long-term in mind to ensure lasting conservation outcomes.

• Stay agile, innovative and entrepreneurial, adapting effectively to challenges and seizing new opportunities as they arise.

• Diversity and inclusivity. Include diverse communities and cultures as equal partners in every aspect of our work. Encourage and celebrate diversity among our staff.

• Adapt and share. Learn from our successes and mistakes and share this learning with others. Remain open-minded to learn from others.