In November, Guatemala City became the favorite destination for nature lovers! Mesa de Barranqueros invited us to share a dream: Citizens who enjoy their green, healthy and biodiverse metropolis, all this through BioFest, the Biodiversity Festival. This Festival was born as an initiative to bring Guatemalan people closer to the abundant biodiversity inside the city.…
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Guatemalan pumpkins
The main symbol of the Halloween tradition is pumpkin. Although October 31 is not a traditional celebration date for Guatemala, we know how it is celebrated in other countries. Pumpkins are something significant for the date. Orange and with monstrous carved faces. Do you know that in Guatemala we also have pumpkins? Although they are…
Why is Ceiba so important in our country and the Americas?
Ceiba is one of the largest trees in the tropics, measuring up to 70 meters high and its roots up to 5 meters deep. It is a tree that we can find in most places in the towns of Guatemala. It was declared a National Tree on March 8, 1955. It is also very common…
Aquatic biodiversity in the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park wetland
Everyone in the world depends on the different ecosystems on Earth and the services they provide. In recent years, people have transformed ecosystems more quickly and extensively than in any other period of history. Largely to quickly meet the demands of food, fresh water, wood, fiber and fuel. According to the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment…
FLAAR Mesoamerica “family” at wedding of Cucu and Erick
The last weekend of December 2019 two “graduates” of FLAAR Mesoamerica got married and they invited five other individuals from FLAAR Mesoamerica to attend. In the photo are: Senaida (experienced plant scout and photo assistant), Josefina (experienced illustrator for MayanToons books for children), Cucu (Melanny Celeste Quiñonez Izquierdo) with husband Erick Flores Cucu did illustrations,…
The design of bird nests native to Guatemala
During our expeditions we have found different bird nests in the treetops. The amazing thing about them is the design and location that each species chooses, according to their needs. The nests are multifunctional structures built by mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Its principal function is to create an adequate environment for eggs and…
Orchids of candelaria at Yaxha Lagoon
During our exploration in boat on Yaxha Lagoon, Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park, in the distance we noticed a light pink flower on the shore. While we were advancing we could see more and more of these flowers tangled in the water grass. Maybe a signal to get closer. When we stopped the boat a few moments…
Neotropical cormorant, an aquatic bird enjoying Yaxha
If you like bird watching you can’t miss visiting the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. Upon reaching the main area, Yaxha, you can get a beautiful view of Yaxha Lagoon and Sacnab Lagoon where you can see a variety of water birds flying over the amazing landscape. In this place dozens of waterbirds lives, since it is…
First expedition of the FLAAR Mesoamerica team to “La Laguna Perdida”
During the last week of March’, FLAAR Mesoamerica team continued research in the National Park Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo in Petén. This time we decided to make an expedition for the first time to explore La Laguna Perdida. This place can be seen from Google Earth with three totally round lagoons joined together that called our attention. We…
Expedition: Flower searching at Parque Nacional Yaxha Nakum Naranjo
FLAAR Mesoamerica’s expedition team returned to Parque Nacional Yaxha Nakum Naranjo looking forward to shoot borning flowers since several plants are borning between March and May. During a long walk through Yaxha, we found habin, bromelia, pucte, among others. We could also observe several birds like hummingbirds drinking nectar from some flowers, woodpeckers climbing the…