2008 Rain Forest Rescue Report
Integrating Nature and Civilization
In our efforts to save the world’s rain forests, preserving a traditional way of life is tied to protecting an environment rich in natural resources. Member support of our collaborative work with The Nature Conservancy resulted in significant progress in the Maya Forest this past year. Throughout Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, this rain forest abounds with activity.
Since 1992 balancing people’s needs with conserving this rare land has yielded positive changes in many practices. The clear-cutting of forests is diminishing as we encourage sustainable industries for the native Maya who make these precious forests their home. And protecting habitat for the rare creatures that live in this singular space will benefit all the area’s life forms.
Maya Forest
In a forest that covers more than 13 million acres of Central America, our conservation work helps support the multiple life forms that depend upon one another. The Maya are blending tradition with progressive methods. Rural communities continue to harvest milpa—native plants like squash, corn, and beans—just as their ancestors did. They are also learning techniques to improve management of a sustainable timber industry. While they seek a balance of old and new, responsible stewarding of nature�s gifts has emerged as a consistently reliable approach.
Native Maya carry harvested shade-grown coffee beans from a private farm in the Finca Los Tarrales nature reserve, prepared to market them internationally for a fair price. Photo © Susan G. Ellis.
With more than 2.4 billion square feet of rain forest now preserved, we see the mark of hundreds of thousands of concerned global citizens in this glorious domain.
Next: A Plan for the Future
Save 2,500 Square Feet of Rain Forest Today
