At the Milpe Bird Sanctuary beyond the great birding you can buy t-shirts and other memorabilia, get refreshments or a full meal if you order in advance. We offer lodging and facilities for researchers, students, interns and volunteers, fresh roasted, shade grown arabica coffee... bird our shade coffee plantation.

Mindo Cloudforest Foundation invites nature lovers to its Andean foothills reserve— the Milpe Bird Sanctuary, located in the Birdlife Internationaldefined Important Bird Area (IBA) Los Bancos—Milpe. Opened in March 2004, this 62 hectare (155 acre) sanctuary covers an altitudinal range from 1020-1150m (3350-3770 ft) and includes two small rivers that converge in a steep, forested valley. It is located 700m off the main highway on an all-weather road. Bird guides consider this one of the finest sites in all of Ecuador. Many of the most spectacular Chocó Endemics occur here: Plumbeous Forest-Falcon, Glistening-green Tanager, Chocó Trogon, Club-winged Manakin and Long-wattled Umbrellabird. This site is known for being the easiest place in the world to find the rare Moss-backed Tanager!

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For a modest entrance fee, the sanctuary offers a trail network designed for all ages, hummingbird feeders, an orchid nursery, a birding viewpoint, and a new visitor's center with cafeteria and living quarters for 4 researchers or volunteer workers. The reserve is a mixture of primary forest, regenerating forest and woodland and pasture. MCF has been reforesting with native saplings since acquiring the reserve. This is a very wet and fertile region, and our plantings have already become valuable habitat. Mindo Cloudforest Foundation is seeking donations to help expand and improve the reserve. All conservation efforts in this IBA are important and we are currently coordinating to have the Milpe entrance road designated an Ecoroute.

There is a new construction at Milpe with simple office space and a showroom for handicrafts. Come on in and see the community of Milpe's women's artwork. These neighbors have received training thanks to an initiative begun by MCF's newest member, Gary Shiltz and wife Karen. You can pick up fun and useful crafts while watching the hummingbirds out the window. During certain parts of the year the Club-winged Manakins lek just beyond the glass. With cellular modem internet hook-up and other modern features, you can't go wrong.