From the fall 2010 Magazine.

Are you a proud Canadian or American? What makes your country special? Whatever it is, it can’t be that it has 1600 kinds of birds and 6000 types of butterflies. In one tiny country located right on the equator live thousands of species of mammals, birds, reptiles and plants. It’s also the country where Fred and Arlene Jonkman do their work for Word & Deed.

If you lived in a mountain village or explored the coastal rainforest, you might see large, gaudy birds like the toucan and quetzal; the elegantly spotted ocelot (a cat); the sleek, black jaguar; or the funny capybara, which looks like an overgrown guinea pig.

Ecuador has so much wildlife that is has been named a “megadiverse” country. All these living examples of God’s creation exist in a country about the same size as Oregon or one quarter the size of British Columbia. Ecuador also includes some islands in the Pacific Ocean called the Galapagos Islands. They are famous for birds and other creatures which exist only there.

If you are interested in Ecuador’s wildlife, check out this site, and click on South America, then Ecuador. (Don’t forget to ask a parent first….)