Nestled under the dense rainforest canopy, Piedras Negras is today a faint, yet glorious memory of the heydays of this ancient Mayan city. Its location on the shore of the Usumacinta River, then a busy trade and travel route, influenced culture and arts. The monuments and stelae reflect techniques and styles similar to those in places as far away as Copán, Honduras. Perhaps it was thanks to the different influences that Piedras Negras developed its own, remarkably sophisticat

With the goal of preserving the habitat of the Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)—the national bird of Guatemala and also the name of its currency (GTQ) —the A Quetzal for a Quetzal program was recently launched by the wine distributor Vinos Vinum and Defensores de la Naturaleza (FDN). For every bottle of wine sold by Vinum, the distributor donates 1 Quetzal (0.13 USD) to the program, which promotes the conservation of the Resplendent quetzal through habitat protectio

A seed bank (or a germplasm bank) stores seeds to conserve the genetic diversity of wild species. Up until recently, there were no available seeds of species native to the Sierra del Lacandón National Park. Such trees and plants are necessary for the reforestation and enrichment of some of the areas damaged by human encroachment of the National Park. Fortunately we have now identified seed sources and established germplasm banks of the following native trees and plants: cedar