In a country like Guatemala, where the base of the economy has always been agriculture, the work of agricultural, environmental, agro-industrial, and forestry engineers is of great importance for the development, sustainable management of resources, and conservation of biodiversity. On June 14, 1950, the Faculty of Agronomy of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala was officially…
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Bocas del Polochic: An important wetland of Guatemala
Bocas del Polochic, located in El Estor, Izabal, is one of the most important wetlands in Guatemala. It is formed by the mouth of the Polochic River, with forests, which serve as a biological corridor for species that share ecosystems between Sierra de las Minas and El Estor; and rivers, such as the Polochic river,…
What are the so called in Guatemala “zompopos de Mayo”?
The well-known zompopo de mayo in Guatemala is an ant species that belongs to the leafcutter and fungi cultivator ant group in the Atta genus. In that sense, these are the ants that can be frequently seen forming rows and carrying leaf trimmings. The colonies of these ants are conformed by worker ants of different…
We found a passionflower tree! Its name is Flor de Mayo (Erblichia odorata)
On our expedition on April 7, 2022, in Aldea El Rosario, Livingston, Izabal, we were able to photograph this incredible passionflower tree, commonly called Flor de Mayo. Something unusual since passionflowers usually grows like a vine. This tree is incredible for the color of its flowers, very strong orange. When you see it, you feel…
World Bee Day
Bees are considered one of the most important animals on the planet, they have benefited humans, plants, and the environment for a long time. By carrying pollen from one flower to another, bees and other pollinators enable not only the production of an abundance of fruits, nuts, and seeds but also more variety and better…
We Found the Cacao de Montaña flowers! (Stenanona stenopetal)
In one of our expeditions of the: “Proyecto de Documentación de Biodiversidad de Livingston” the path of Lagunita Creek (Río Sarstún) was visited. In it, we could see a cauliflorous tree that had red fruits growing from its trunk. The tree had already flowered that year, so they wanted to investigate with our plant scouts…
World Tapir Day
In Guatemala, the Central American tapir is known as danto or danta in Spanish, tixl in Q’eqchi’, tucumbalan in K’iche’, tix in Poqomchi and tzimin in Jakalteko. The Mayan cosmogony tells that the gods created humans from the mixture of corn dough with snake and tapir blood, so these animals were sacred in such a…
Every Day Is Earth Day
The International Mother Earth Day, named after the UN and celebrated for the first time on April 22, 1970, was a date marked on the calendar as the first environmental milestone for the planet: more than 20 million people took to the streets to raise awareness of the impact of human activity on the environment.…
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…