On my last visit to the Mashpi Amagusa Reserve in Ecuador, I had the great fortune of birding with a local guide named Laura Gualco. It’s not often we find young women leading birding tours in Ecuador. We were fortunate on this day because Laura isn’t your average guide.

Raised in the tiny cloud forest town of Nono, just down the road from Jocotoco’s Yanacocha Reserve, Laura was quite literally brought up with birds. And now, this gifted guide has a chance to expand her wings—northward, to Canada.

Laura will spend nearly three months at the Long Point Bird Observatory in Ontario as a Volunteer Field Biologist with Birds Canada, assisting with migration monitoring and public education from August through early November. While this experience includes room and board, Laura will need to cover travel expenses. And that’s where we come in. 

A Path Paved by Passion

Laura’s birding journey started thanks to her older sister, Doris Villalba, co-founder of the Mashpi Amagusa Reserve. Doris’s passion for conservation inspired Laura to become a guide and opened the door to a world she hadn’t imagined. With encouragement from mentors like Paul Greenfield, Jorge Luna, and Dusan Brinkhuizen, Laura developed a deep knowledge of Ecuador’s birds. But it was time spent with her brother-in-law, Sergio Basantes, where she honed her craft, learning about the Chocó endemics found on the country’s biodiverse western slope​.

She’s also had the invaluable support of other female guides like Natalia Escobar and Andrea Molina, pioneers in a field still dominated by men. Their example and mentorship helped Laura see herself as more than a guide. She is also a steward of Ecuador’s natural heritage, which includes both birding and conservation.

But the road hasn’t always been easy. As Laura says,

“There are still certain attitudes that reflect a culture of machismo, and that motivates me to prove that women can also be experts and successful in this field.”

Her drive to break those barriers makes her a powerful presence in the field.

A Joy to Bird With

During our time together at Mashpi Amagusa, Laura was endlessly enthusiastic, sharp-eyed, and a joy to be with. Whether helping me track down a tricky tanager or chatting in Spanish about her experience as a female guide in Ecuador, she brought heart and humor to every moment. She spoke about how welcome she feels when guiding international birders who appreciate her expertise, even while candidly acknowledging the challenges faced by female bird guides in Ecuador.

One of her most memorable experiences was with a group of international birders who had long searched for a particular species—one they had nearly given up hope of ever seeing.

“But Ecuador had other plans,” she told me. “After a lot of effort, in an unexpected moment, there it was—the species they thought was impossible to find. The look on their faces, the surprise, the emotion, the disbelief… it was pure joy, a dream fulfilled.”

It’s moments like this that show how meaningful birding is for Laura.

Why This Trip Matters

Laura sees this trip to Canada as a key step toward her dream: building her own nature reserve in Ecuador. She wants to integrate what she learns abroad—new techniques, fresh perspectives, and international best practices—into her work back home. Her goal is to create a space that protects habitat and inspires others to connect with nature.

She’s already doing that at Mashpi Amagusa, where she leads groups ranging from casual visitors to seasoned bird photographers. Her guiding isn’t just about ticking off species, it’s about sparking wonder and respect for the extraordinary biodiversity of the Andes.

Let’s Get Laura to Canada

Ecuador’s minimum wage is just $480 a month. For someone like Laura, the costs of international travel—flights, visa applications, warm clothing for a Canadian fall, even an occasional meal out—are daunting. Our goal is to raise $6,500 to help cover those expenses.

If you’ve ever birded in Ecuador, met a guide who helped you see the natural world in a new way, or simply believe in empowering young women in conservation, I hope you’ll consider supporting Laura’s journey.

This isn’t just about one trip. It’s about investing in a bright, driven, conservation-minded woman who will carry the lessons of this experience back to Ecuador, where they’ll take root and bloom for years to come.