HSI

A local guide shows El Imposible's connected ecosystem.

By Toby Bloom

Located in the northwestern corner of El Salvador, El Imposible National Park is the most important protected area in the country because of its size and wealth in biodiversity. It contains numerous ravines and forested hillsides that provide habitat for rare and endangered species that exist nowhere else in El Salvador, including the king vulture, crested hawk-eagle, ocelot, margay and puma. In addition, over 30 species of mammal, 279 bird species, 13 species of freshwater fish, and 500 butterfly species have been observed in El Imposible. As Director of Wildlife Ecotourism for HSI, my job is to help the local communities and NGOs work together so that everyone gets what they need: the local communities are able to derive income from tourism to the park, and the NGOs are able to protect the amazing animals that live there, as well as the unique ecosystem that serves as their habitat.

This trip was possible thanks to HSI’s grant from the U.S. State Department to improve compliance with the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) by the countries involved in the Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). Tourism is an important part of HSI’s DR-CAFTA CITES program because it offers an economic alternative for local communities that might otherwise engage in activities that are harmful to local endangered species and their habitats. Hunting for food, selling animals for the international pet trade, cutting trees for sale or clearing land for agriculture all have devastating effects on wildlife. Ecotourism gives local communities a non-extractive method for capitalizing on their natural resources.

This was my first visit to El Salvador, so I was eager to explore the country, especially El Imposible National Park. Also, El Imposible consists mainly of tropical dry forest, so it was a nice change from the tropical rainforests that I am used to working in!

I traveled to the park with Francisco Soto, the director of protected areas for SalvaNatura, our local partner NGO. The 4,000 hectare park is patrolled by 24 park guards, so there are not a lot of problems with hunting or illegal logging, but other activities can also distress the animals that call El Imposible their home. The majority of concerns have to do with other types of plant extraction and fishing in the eight rivers and numerous tributaries that run through the park. The people earn their livelihoods mostly from agriculture, sale of small items in local markets, or by leaving their communities to sell and/or work in San Salvador. The area is home to endemic bird species, and some non-endemic endangered species such as puma, javali, tigrillo, and ocelots.

HSI

Francisco indicates the boundary of the park.

Not long before my trip, SalvaNatura had completed a training of 20 guides in the areas of client service, guide instruction, ecotourism activities, and camping. They had also installed a visitor booth at the entrance of the park in order to collect entrance fees. It was nice to see that they were already on their way to improving tourism in the park, and I was happy to help them continue!

Once we arrived at the park, we were guided by Mac, a very capable man who has been working in El Imposible with SalvaNatura for 10 years. On the day that I visited, there were also 220 schoolchildren at the park, and nine guides to lead them. I used to be a tour guide myself, and I know that handling a group that large, especially of children, is very difficult in a national park! I made a mental note that El Imposible would need more trained guides available on a daily basis, and made a promise to myself to try and figure out a way to make that happen. Mac said that it was difficult to get enough guides because it is not guaranteed income. Guides do not know until the end of the tour if they are going to receive the voluntary $10 tip, so only those who can afford to miss a day of pay come to guide. I told Francisco that part of the socialization of valuing the park is to require that the guides be paid for their work. It is very hard to change people’s minds about anything, but I knew we had to start somewhere, and Francisco agreed with me.

We spent the rest of the day hiking on the park trails, observing birds, amphibians, and the amazing array of interesting medicinal and culturally important plants. Because it was the rainy season, we did not get a very good view of the numerous rivers and valleys in the park, but it was still a great day, and gave me a lot more insight into what SalvaNatura needed to help protect this important wildlife habitat. When I returned to my office in Washington, DC, I worked on writing up a strategy that would help SalvaNatura with its most immediate needs, and would create opportunities for responsible tourism to increase in the park in the future.

HSI works with local partners all over Latin American to develop community ecotourism programs that highlight local wildlife and culture. When increased income from ecotourism motivates communities to protect wildlife, everyone wins!