Opportunities Disguised as Needs
Local People Acquire New Skills in Response
Like good forest guides, members of Conhuas, another Mexican ejido, are reading the signs of change. An influx of tourists to this picturesque area has generated the need for additional services, so the Rain Forest Rescue program is providing training to young people from Conhuas to become nature guides.
These youth have studied English, birding, history and archeology and are available to work for local hotels and tours. They then share their newly acquired appreciation of the natural world with the world citizens who visit. And, since ecotourism is a growing industry, training local people to respond means continued employment for many.
Organized action is transforming another threat into promise. Regional wildfires often result from burning off growth to prepare the land for tilling. When fires rage out of control, they put the forest—the very resource that sustains a community—at risk.
A fire management plan has gained broad support from federal, state and municipal authorities plus the nature reserve staff and local people. Now that a command and communication center and several fire brigades exist, training has begun in three separate communities chosen because of their locations within the reserve.
Next: Endangered Species Signals Hope in Belize
Save 2,500 Square Feet of Rain Forest Today
