Leonardo DiCaprio Instagram – Ecuador is making strides in its commitment to 30×30, aiming to safeguard at least 30% of its terrestrial and marine environments by 2030. The Ecuadorian National System of Protected Areas now has 77 protected areas and 30 protected freshwater areas totaling more than 26.2 million hectares of key watersheds and their surrounding ecosystems, covering nearly 20% of the country. The Ministry of Environment (@ambienteec), in collaboration with our partners @naturecultureinternational, @fundacion.jocotoco and local communities, with direct technical and financial support from @rewild and @bezosearthfund, has officially declared more than 163,000 acres of new protected areas— safeguarding critical Chocó (lowland tropical forest), high montane forests, páramo (high altitude grasslands) and critical watersheds. Photo Credits: Javier Aznar, Alex Wiles, James Muchmore, Scott Trageser, Fundación Jocotoco, Nature & Culture International