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…
Diversity at Lagunita Creek
Located in the border between Guatemala and Belize, it is full of tropical flora and fauna diversity. It is one of the natural reserves managed by FUNDAECO. Here we could enjoy exploring pathways full of mushroom, flower and plant species. There’s a portion of the river in the entrance with turquoise freshwater were you can…
The amazing Birds Island in Livingston, Izabal
It is located about 45 minutes away from Livingston center, by boat. You will be able to see the bird nests really on the mangroves close to the shore so you can see the mothers giving food to their chicks. The boat can get really close so you can take amazing pictures of some egrett…
Mysterious endangered cave
We were called by a team of biologists who have been studying the importance of an unknown cave located in Izabal, Guatemala. They are worried about the fate of the natural ecosystem that lives inside the darkness of the cave since it has been polluted and neglected by the local people living close to it.…
Turn off the lights, let The Earth shine
On March 28th from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, some parts of the world will turn off their lights. So do not panic if your neighborhood or even your city gets dark for a complete hour, they are just letting The Earthshine, at least for an hour. The “Earth Hour” is a movement…
Tropical bird sanctuary in the Guatemalan caribbean
With their clean feathers, their unique sound, the birds that live on the Livingston shores gave us an unintended spectacle during the sunset. Pelicans, seagulls, egrets (Ardea alba, Egretta thula), cormorants, kingbirds, were some of the birds we could identify flying through the Río Dulce tall canyon, in Livingston. We saw many birds interact, including…
A Paradise Of Vanilla Orchids In The Guatemalan Caribean
The last expedition was one of the most awaited by FLAAR Mesoamérica team. We went to Livingston, a municipal area from Izabal department in Guatemala, located 15 km. aprox. by boat across Puerto Barrios city. The paths we found in our expedition inside the tropical jungle are home to many native plants. We have a…
BioFest: The Biodiversity Festival
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.…