It is popular knowledge that the name of Guatemala comes from the Nahuatl Quauhtemallan, which means “place of forests or many trees”, so we can deduce that this country is an area in which the forest represents the majority of the areas, however , the nation that bears the forest in its name has been…
Guatemala’s wildlife is like no other and we should take care of it.
Wildlife in Guatemala is unique, as in few places in the world. To better understand this, it is worth understanding the natural history of this country: Phallus indusiatus at Paso Caballos, PNLT. Photo by: Boris Llamas. August 2021. Guatemala is located in between two broad continental masses that support almost every kind of ecosystem…
The Study of Wetlands
Wetlands are understood as “extensions of marshes, swamps, peat bogs or surfaces covered by water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, stagnant or currents of fresh, brackish or salt water, including extensions of marine water whose depth at low tide it does not exceed 6 meters” – Ramsar. Every February 2, World Wetlands Day…
The Mesoamerican Christmas tree: Pinabete (Abies guatemalensis Rehder.)
Abies guatemalensis Rehder is a species of pine (family Pinaceae) that commonly receives the name of Pinabete, Romerillo, or Pinabete of Guatemala; In Mayan languages, it is known as Pashaque, Tz’in chaj, Pajchac, and Paqtxaq (INAB & MARN, 2017; INAB, 2019). Its natural distribution includes México (Jalisco), Guatemala, El Salvador and part of Honduras (Lempira).…
Medicinal plants of Guatemala: An approach to ethnobotany
Guatemala is widely known for being a Megadiverse country in terms of its natural and cultural resources, but this diversity is not only special for its uniqueness, but also for the management that has been given to it. The native people of the country have inherited important knowledge about the uses of plants for generations.…
Amazing cenotes in Yaxha
Did you know that in Yaxha, Nakum and Naranjo National Park there are cenotes attached to the Yaxha Lagoon? If you visit this place, we recommend you take a boat ride and ask the boatman to take you to see the cenotes. You must take into account that in the dry season you may not…
Cicadas: The singers of the forest
It is very likely that during a walk through the forest you have heard the sound of thousands of cycads singing. Although they are rarely observed because they are mainly found in the treetops (or because some manage to camouflage themselves very well with the color of the barks from the trees) we can hear…
Sacred Flowers Of The Maya
For many years, flowers have been used to represent different meanings. One of the most common traditions that you still observe today is giving flowers as a symbol of affection and romance, especially now that Valentine’s Day is coming… but culturally, flowers have tended a much broader symbolism. In the Mayan culture, for example, the…
“Manzanote” a special cacti from the dry forest
Cacti are perennial plants, very attractive for their strange shapes and spines. Its stems are green, fleshy, simple or branched, with cylindrical, globose, or flattened shapes. They are, generally, terrestrial plants adapted to extreme climates where they can survive long periods without water. They can be herbs, shrubby or arborescent, fleshy or even hard and…
FLAAR Mesoamerica team at Reserva Natural Tapon Creek
Here is the FLAAR Mesoamerica team at Reserva Natural Tapon Creek, capably managed by FUNDAECO. Park ranger Lucus Cuz (of FUNDAECO) is at far right (his son is in the middle). Each individual of the FLAAR Mesoamerica team is specialized in different tasks during these field trips. Their capabilities are listed in the reports in…