Community-Based Conservation - ECOLIFE Conservation

Empowering communities to safeguard their health and their environment

We help people and nature support each other with environmental education, job security, and stoves that reduce deforestation and disease.

Lasting conservation begins and ends with people

Human needs must be met for conservation to work. We build stoves that enable locals to live healthier lives while reducing their impact on their natural environment.

The Issues

Habitat Destruction

Across the globe, demand for wood is rapidly depleting forests that support vulnerable species. In Mexico, deforestation in the monarch butterfly’s home ruins the insulating effects of the forest in winter.

Homes Full Of Smoke

Nearly 3 billion people around the globe cook on open fires inside their homes. Many children suffer burns from open flames and hot coals. Diseases caused by breathing smoke make indoor cooking fires the leading cause of death in the developing world, especially for women and children.

Economies In Peril

Local economies depend on eco-tourism driven by their unique wildlife, with tourists flocking to the monarch butterfly migration in Mexico. The loss of these charismatic species would also mean the loss of thousands of livelihoods.

Our Solution

The ECOLIFE Stove Effect

Building fuel-efficient stoves protects forests and forest-dwelling species while providing clean air and safer living conditions for families.

Stable Habitats

Our stoves protect forests by reducing local dependence on firewood, leaving habitats in-tact. Stable ecosystems help vulnerable species, such as the monarch butterfly, survive on a changing planet.

Safe Homes

Our chimneys funnel smoke out of houses so that everyone in the family breathes cleaner air. Children can play inside safely, since the fire is off the ground and contained in cool brick walls.

Social Empowerment

Through our programs, women become spokespeople for health issues, children learn about the importance of conservation, and men learn to build stoves that protect their families and their environment.

Where We Build Stoves

We choose locations where we can make the greatest impact on both at-risk species and underserved communities. Our stove programs are in UNESCO World Heritage Sites where humans and animals coexist.

Our Impact To Date