Guatemala
A country endowed with breathtaking natural beauty and home to a civilization that traces its roots back over 4,000 years, Guatemala today offers us a fading glimpse of pre-Columbian paradise. A landscape of majestic volcanoes, lush old-growth forests, gleaming lakes, and scenic valleys, its dramatic natural bounty is exceptional. It is also home to Mayan groups that speak 21 different languages and carry on traditions of land stewardship and religious beliefs millennia old.
However, this unique cultural and natural patrimony has not been valued in modern times and has suffered violent destruction at the hands of political and economic forces. Primary targets in a 36-year civil war and victims of chilling human rights violations, Mayan civilians suffered disproportionately during the conflict. Today's rural Guatemalans struggle with other threats: illiteracy, infant mortality, and malnutrition rates are among the highest in the region; and life expectancy is among the lowest. Guatemala's once abundant forests are being cut down at alarming rates; destruction fueled on the one hand by unrestrained commercial logging and mining interests, and on the other by the subsistence needs of the very poor.
EcoLogic, through its local partners, is pushing back. Working with groups like Earth, Trees, Water (Ulew Che' Ja'), we capitalize on the wealth of indigenous knowledge and community collaboration to protect vital water sources and restore degraded forests. The level of engagement and interest in conservation-led development exceeds our current support capacity, as neighboring communities witness EcoLogic's partners managing resources in ways that promote conservation and encourage prosperity in their communities. EcoLogic has worked in Guatemala since 1993.
Our Support Made Possible
- 355,780 acres of forest conserved
- 90,000 trees planted
- 182 clean burning stoves built
- 75 voluntary community forest guards trained
- 737 people trained in sustainable resource management
- 118,000 community members benefiting from safe drinking water
- 1,200 water springs protected and maintained
Successful Past Partnerships
- Mayan Forestry Action Plan, a leading indigenous rights and conservation organization working throughout Guatemala
- The Foundation for Eco-Development, a Guatemalan conservation agency working on the conservation of coastal marine habitats
- The Mario Dary Foundation for the Environment and Natural Resources, working in Punta Manabique on conservation and environmental education
- Bio Itzá Association, based in the Petén, the first community-based indigenous organization in the region to work on micro-enterprise creation as well as archeological and ethno-botanical preservation
