The Nest is a life project of conservation, forest gardening and eco-tourism in its initial steps. Founded out of love for nature, the ocean and good food.
23/03/2026
A female manteled howler monkey gives birth to one baby at the time after a gestation period of approximately 6 months. She carries the baby around first on her chest, then on her back for 3 to 4 months. The group of manteled howler monkeys that we spot regularly is composed of 10 to 15 individuals and has 2 to 3 babies every half year.
Manteled howler monkey jumping in front of the iconic los Ahorcados islands in Ayampe.
17/01/2026
Ayampe: lavadora de autos amenaza el río La construcción de una lavandería de autos junto a la desembocadura del río Ayampe ha encendido las alertas en esta comunidad costera de Manabí. El proyecto, levantado en una zona de alto valor ecológico y turístico, es cuestionado por posibles irregularidades legales y por el riesgo ambiental...
04/01/2026
Reconnect with nature and observe wildlife. Join us on a forestwalk. We offer visits in English, Spanish, French and Dutch. Reservation only, book your tour.
Some mantled howler monkeys are more curious then others. This female came very close to us. The bamboo forest is part of their natural habitat.
The Northern Tamandua or anteater mainly lives in the trees. They have prehensile tails and claws to grab branches and climb. Occasionaly they can be seen on the forest ground, walking on the outside of their hand to avoid hurting themselves with their powerful claws. These claws are also handy to rip open termite nests.
They may eat up to 9000 insects a day and have no teeth, but a small mouth opening and a thin long sticky tongue.
It is quite a walk to harvest our coffee at The Nest, as it is spread out all over the forest. It grows surrounded by citrus trees, cacao, bananas and wild vegetation which gives it a distinct aroma. Depulping our wild grown coffee is part of the processing of the beans before washing and drying them for storage.
The margay (Leopardus wiedii) is a small, nocturnal wild cat that hunts mainly in trees. It feeds on mammals, birds, and reptiles. It is the only feline that can climb down trees headfirst.
These images of a margay were shot recently on one of our walking paths with a camera trap. We have been observing and monitoring the wildlife living in our reserve through camera traps for the past 6 years. Some of that material you can see on our page: www.facebook.com/TheNestAyampe