Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize Come Together To Create a 14-Million-Acre Reserve in the Mayan Jungle
By Regina Sienra on September 6, 2025
Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize share one of the most biodiverse habitats on the planet. Known as the Mayan jungle, this tropical rainforest is home to over 7,000 species, including 200 endangered creatures and a similar number of endemic animals—meaning they can only be found there. In an effort to safeguard this area, the three national governments have created the Great Mayan Jungle Biocultural Corridor, a 14-million-acre (5.7 million hectares) protected area.
“This is one of Earth’s lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should preserve with our eyes on the future,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Given its size, the corridor will become the second biggest nature reserve in the Americas, only behind the Amazon rainforest. Guatemala will make the largest contribution with 2,673,726 hectares of protected natural areas—about a fifth of its total size—followed by Mexico with 2,426,451 hectares, and Belize with 591,700 hectares.
The actions taken to ensure this region thrives include regenerating soils, restoring degraded forest cover, promoting food self-sufficiency, and above all, improving the well-being of the Indigenous peoples and recognizing their labor as protectors of nature. The agreement will safeguard a priceless heritage while promoting a sustainable development model that generates well-being for communities in the three neighboring countries.
This massive endeavor is not without challenges. Organized crime groups plague the area, as well as illegal loggers and miners. For the zone to be truly protected, the governments vowed to increase security forces and engage residents by offering them alternative paths to make a living. One such initiative is the expansion of Mexico’s “Planting Life” program, in which landowners are given funds to plant and grow certain trees that produce fruit or timber.
More:
https://mymodernmet.com/mexico-guatemala-belize-mayan-jungle-reserve/#
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Most of it and it was a lot to digest. Think of it as an entire semester in an upper level class,maybe two. I used it as my summer reading book one year, took all summer and when the gig was up I had too many other things going on so I never got back into it by the time I had to give it back to my neighbor.
Though it's long and involved, it is totally worth the read! There is so much updated thinking about what has been the standard for decades that it changes everything and makes so much of what we've found throughout make sense.
But, if there's an audio version, I'm getting it!
