Merly Lopez, Emi Caceres, Kathy Espin, Felipe Quiñonez, Victor Capulí

The "Climbing Mountains for the Andean Bear" (SMOA) project is a participatory environmental education initiative focused on the conservation of the Andean bear. In Ecuador, is an endangered species, emblematic and threatened by habitat loss, conflicts with human activities, and a lack of awareness about its ecological importance. The project integrates mountain experiences, community education, and citizen participation as complementary strategies to strengthen environmental awareness and promote long-term conservation efforts. The area of influence of the project is located in the northern Andean region of Ecuador. The activities took place both in mountains and hiking trails associated with the habitat of the species and in communities near these ecosystems. The project's main objectives were: (1) to take on a personal challenge of mountain climbing as an inspirational tool; (2) to strengthen environmental education about the Andean bear and its ecosystem; and (3) to promote citizen participation in conservation processes, integrating mountaineers and local communities through accessible and intergenerational educational activities. Methodology combined hiking and mountain climbing with the parallel implementation of the "Getting to Know the Andean Bear" School Park in central public parks of different communities. During the mountain activities, scientific and experiential information about the ecology of the Andean bear was shared with participants, while the School Parks functioned as educational circuits with themed stations, participatory activities, and games aimed at audiences of all ages. As a result, during 2025, the project developed eight mountain activities and nine School Parks in Andean communities. Ninety-one people participated in the climbs and hikes and 371 in the community spaces. The evaluations carried out showed a significant increase in the knowledge about Andean bears consolidating SMOA as an effective model of participatory education.