Guatemala is a country with great natural and cultural wealth; however, many people are still unaware of much of the diversity that the territory possesses. One of the objectives of FLAAR Mesoamerica has always been the dissemination of scientific information for both academics and children who want to learn more about the various species of…
News & Blog
Discovering “El Zotz”: Bats and Mayan culture
In February of this year, we had the opportunity to visit the Biotopo Protegido San Miguel La Palotada El Zotz as part of our ongoing Biodiversity Documentation project in La Reserva de la Biósfera Maya. The Biotope is located in the municipality of San José, Petén, 584 km from Guatemala City and 65 km from…
El dilema de la primavera en Guatemala: ¿Es realmente eterna?
Tanto en Guatemala, como en el extranjero, los guatemaltecos reconocemos con orgullo a nuestro país como el de la eterna primavera. Sin embargo, existen muchas probabilidades de que la mayoría de nosotros no identifique cuando ocurre esta estación. ¿Será porque todo el año vemos flores que no la reconocemos, o bien, que muy pocas veces…
Maya trek: a unique tour of the Mayan society in the tropical jungle
The Biotopo Protegido San Miguel La Palotada El Zotz is a place where you can enjoy nature, archaeological sites, and bats. If you like trekking this place may be a good option for you. El Peñón de los Muercielagos – El Zotz. Drone Photo by Haniel López. February 16th The Maya Trek is a 60…
Importancia de los biólogos para Guatemala
Historia del Día del Biólogo en Guatemala A principios de la década de los setenta, Mario Dary Rivera, salvadoreño de nacimiento que vino al país con solo 2 años, fue pionero en la fundación de la Escuela de Biología en la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), con el objetivo de forjar profesionales de…
Artesanías de Morro: Un patrimonio biocultural
Las artesanías de morro del municipio de Rabinal en Baja Verapaz, son ampliamente conocidas en todo el país. Es muy probable que ya te hayas encontrado una de estas artesanías en algún mercado o en la feria de Rabinal, si has tenido la oportunidad de ir. Estas vienen en forma de guacales y chinchines, principalmente,…
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…
Migratory birds: A special dynamic in the world
On October 12, World Migratory Bird Day was commemorated. This is a very important annual campaign to promote global awareness and conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. Migratory birds play an important role in the ecological dynamics of the sites they visit, as they are important predators of insects and vertebrates, dispersers of seeds,…