Second chance for the victims of the illegal trafficThe last refuge for the Scarlet macawLegal consumption eggs of turtlesSustainable management of forest resourcesThreats on the monkey-spiderEfforts for the slothsVolunteers in support for the marine turtlesSoon: Galapagos, the blackberry in sightsPortrait of a Shiwiar The forest pharmacy: welcome in the universe of healing plantsGold organic green and fairThe jungle in the Mayan civilizationYasuni, the garden of Eden Arthropods to understand the Mayan lifeScientific inventory of the butterfliesSoon: mangrove swamps, when forests walk on the waterSustainable management of forest resources
Carmelita, Peten, Guatemala
Carmelita is the northernmost village of Guatemala. Founded in 1925, its origin is related to the operation of sapodilla. This tree provides chicle, a latex formerly used in the manufacture of chewing gum. Its extraction became forbidden, Carmelita turned to new economic alternatives. Its 400 inhabitants are now managing a forest concession of about 54000 hectares.
The plan of management of this concession is followed by the CONAP (National Council of the Protected Areas) which authorizes the community to sustainably exploit the valuable timber trees for export labeled international FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Each year, one of the 40 plots of the concession is operated by workers, leaving to 39 others the time to regenerate. The community expanded recently its activities by exploiting the leaves of palm tree, in great demand by the United States and Holland as decorative plant.
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