The west-slope foothills of the western Andes in the provinces of Canar and El Oro are cloaked with montane rainforest. Much of this area has been fragmented, but a large part has been preserved by the Jocotoco Foundation in the Buenaventura Reserve. This area is special because it constitutes the southern range limit for a number of species restricted to the humid west slope of Columbia and Ecuador; the degree to which it is geographically isolated has allowed the evolution of species such as the El Oro Parakeet; the presence here of lower elevation species show an expansion of ecological niches; and the unusual mixture of species of diverse geographic origens occuring together reflects a complex biogeographic history. Visitors may stay at the recently built Umbrellabird Lodge.