International Day of National Parks August 24th, 2023 Parque Nacional Río Dulce. Haniel López, 2021. Every year we celebrate the International Day of National Parks on August 24th. This day raises awareness for global efforts towards conservation. National parks are decreed for many reasons such as historical, aesthetic, scientific value, cultural value, for recreational purposes,…
Tomb of the Jade Jaguar, Tikal
Tonight the presentation will mention the jaguar hide and feather headdress found in Tikal Burial 196, so includes ethnozoology (obviously the feathers were just dust imprint but segments of leather of the jaguar were still preserved, and the claws). For botany mentions cacao or other beans found inside one of the ceramic vases. Plus the…
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…
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.…
Datos interesantes sobre algunos de los símbolos patrios de Guatemala
El 15 de septiembre conmemoramos el día de la independencia en Guatemala, por lo que es un buen momento para recordar sus símbolos representativos. A pesar de que reconocemos lo emblemáticos que son el quetzal, la monja blanca, la ceiba, la marimba y demás símbolos patrios, ¿qué tanto sabemos sobre ellos y su historia? El…
The Value of the Tropical Forests
Tropical forests or rainforests are located in the Intertropical Zone, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer (look image 1), near the equatorial line. Its average annual temperature is generally above 24 ° C and its humidity is highly variable. They are considered megadiverse ecosystems because despite occupying just 3% of the…
¡Unámonos por el clima!
#HuelgaClimatica El cambio climático es uno de los principales problemas que enfrentamos como humanidad actualmente, porque nos afecta desde diferentes ámbitos como: la seguridad alimentaria, la salud, la economía, los derechos humanos… y la lista es cada vez más amplia. La acción climática es urgente y todos podemos contribuir de una u otra forma. Mucho…
Biodiversity in the Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh, also known as the Book of Counsels or the “Bible” of the Maya K’iche’. The Maya word “Pop” means power or sacred and “wuj” paper or book, so literally means Sacred Book. This book was perhaps written in hieroglyphic characters but the Mayan culture was attacked during the Spanish conquest and most…
A Place Called Mesoamerica
Do you ever wonder, what does Mesoamerica mean? This name appears in the history books we read at school, but the discussion and research about the breadth of its territory and culture needs to be explored even more. The word “Mesoamerica” has a Greek origin for the prefix “meso” which means “between something” or in…
Aldea Plan Grande Tatín
On our way, one hour by 4×4 drive to the village Tatin, we saw four Heliconia species, reptiles, and many native flower species like guarumo. There were hummingbirds, Oropendola birds, and toucans. It was indeed a paradise location, perfect to go on an adventure and to get to know more about Guatemala and it’s magical…