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The
Zacatán Ecological Reserve is owned and managed by
Dr. Robert Dull, a professor of geography and environmental
studies. We are committed to enhancing the knowledge of
and appreciation for the natural ecosystems of
Nicaragua. Secundino Davila is the operations
manager, responsible for the day to day
operations at the reserve. The management
philosophy for the reserve is driven by several guiding principals
and overarching concerns: science, education, conservation, sustainability, and social
responsibility.
Science:
Our vision is that Zacatán becomes a site for long-term
ecological research, and eventually a base for social and physical
scientists working throughout the region on a variety of research
topics. Although we currently do not have the facilities to
house visitors, we welcome any interested researchers to work in
Zacatán and more generally in the isthmian region of Rivas (see
conservation section below). The Zacatán forest conservation
project provides a natural laboratory for the effects of forest
regeneration on carbon and nitrogen cycling, local hydrology,
erosion, and fire regimes. We encourage foreign scientists to
collaborate with Nicaraguan scholars from universities such as UNAN,
UCA, UPOLI, and Ave Maria. Fruitful collaborations can also be
found with local NGOs and government agencies. Rob's expertise
falls under the general rubric of Holocene environmental change -
paleoecology/paleoclimatology, prehispanic land use, and the history
of natural hazards.
 Photo: University of Pittsburgh
graduate student Manuel Roman Lacayo and Dr. Robert Dull extracting
lake sediment samples in SW Nicaragua.
Education
Providing educational opportunities for students and
other visitors is a central focus of activities carried out at
Zacatán. Student groups that have visited the reserve since
its establishment range from local elementary school children from
Tola to university students from the U.S. In
summer 2004 a group of 15 Texas A&M University undergraduates
came down for a one month study abroad field class based in San Juan
del Sur and Ometepe Island. The students got to spend some
time in Gigante learning about Neotropical ecology, environmental
history, solar energy, and coastal geomorphology. Since that
time groups from the University of Denver, and graduate students
from several universities have come to carry out field research in
the reserve.
Conservation:
The
Isthmus of Rivas is the the narrow expanse of land that
separates Lake Nicaragua from the Pacific Ocean. Over the past
five years this region has experienced a tourism and real
estate boom. One result of the real estate frenzy
has been the increased fragmentation of forests in the
region. Forests have been cleared at an ever increasing
rate to make way for new roads, housing subdivisions,
and related development infrastructure. Illegal logging
also plagues the region, threatening the last few stands of primary
forest in the southern Pacific region of Nicaragua. There are
only three national parks on the isthmus - Mombacho, Chacocente, and
La Flor - but these encompass less than 5% of the total land
area. Because so little land has been set aside by the
government, private reserves like Zacatán have become ever more
important to the overall ecological health of the region.
Beyond our conservation efforts at Zacatán, we would like to
encourage and facilitate the creation of larger conservation areas
and connecting biological corridors on the isthmus, both public and
private. Small forest patches like Zacatán are great habitats
for migratory birds and small animals, but are restrictive isolated
islands for larger animals that typically range over many miles
while hunting/foraging.
 
Photos: (1)A satellite image of the
Isthmus of Rivas with Lake Nicaragua above and the Pacific
Ocean below. The Island at the top of the image is Ometepe
Island, one of the largest freshwater islands in the
world (2) A family from
the community of Cangrejo, Rivas standing next to (on) a tree
that was sold to loggers for 100 cordobas (about
$6.00).
Sustainability:
Our commitment to support the rural residents and
"natural" ecosystems of Nicaragua is interwoven with our goal of
making our operations as sustainable as we can. This means
treading lightly on the land, and having a small ecological
footprint. We are by no means 100% green in our every day
operations, but we are incorporating the following into
our operations: solar electricity to power
the reserve cartaker's house; water
barrels to collect rainwater for washing dishes, flushing toilets,
etc.; no use of pesticides/herbicides on premises; firewood is
collected only from dead plant material. We will continually
strive to be more sustainable in our operations and to encourage the
same for our neighbors and visitors.
Photo: Texas A&M University students
getting a photovoltaic installation lecture from Rodolfo of Suni
Solar (Managua) and University of Wisconsin graduate student Kaja
Rebane. This system was installed in the workers' living
quarters at the Zacatán Reserve in June 2004.
Social
Responsibility:
Perhaps our most important goal is to give
something back to the people of Nicaragua. We believe
that it isn't enough to strive for the goals of environmental
health, scientific understanding, and education if local people do
not benefit directly from our efforts. We pledge to be
generous, gracious and fair to our employees, and to continue to
support local schools, libraries, and community outreach
programs with donations of educational materials and
supplies. We also hope to develop a bilingual interpretive
demonstration center at the reserve that will be a resource for
local students and residents from the surrounding communities of
Gigante, Coyol, Tola, and beyond.
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On-site
Management: The every day
operation of Zacatán for the past three years has been the
responsibility of Secundino Davila. Mr. Davila manages a team
of three fulltime workers, whose responsibility it is to
maintain and enhance the ecological integrity of the
reserve. Secundino's crew maintains a nursery, plants
trees, clears brush for fire breaks, repairs and maintains trails,
and guards the park from illegal hunting activity and fire
starting. Without Secundino and his team our management
objectives would be impossible to attain.
Don Secundino Davila, operations manager at
Zacatán | 
