The Yotoco Forest Reserve (RFY) is a sub-tropical humid forest remnant in the Cauca Valley, South Western Colombia. The RFY has been the property of the National University of Colombia (UNAL) since 1958, and is administrated jointly by UNAL and the environmental body of the Departmental government (CVC). The main objective of the reserve is the protection of the water catchment area for the town of Yotoco, with more than 12,000 inhabitants. These proprietary rights and purpose ensure the stability of the reserve into the future. The RFY is less than an hour’s journey from the major city of Cali, and offers a valuable opportunity for access to and appreciation of forest ecosystems by urban communities. However, lack of infrastructure currently limits these educational objectives. I here request OCI funding to support baseline ecological studies for in situ orchid conservation in the RFY, and to secure and document an ex situ collection in the reserve for environmental education. These objectives cover three of the four listed OCI funding priorities.