Rainforest Conservation in Calakmul, Mexico

Summary

Preserve 60,000 species, including the threatened jaguar, and prevent millions of tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere, by protecting important rainforest land in the southern Yucatan Peninsula

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

The rainforest land within the Buffer Zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, southern Yucatan, Mexico, is not legally protected from logging – which was the only viable economic activity available to the impoverished communal landowners (ejidos) prior to the intervention of Rainforest2Reef. Rainforest2Reef now protects this land by providing ejidos with annual payments, in exchange for giving up logging rights.

How will this project solve this problem?

Implement conservation-friendly economic alternatives to logging, such as tree-planting with members of local community groups, which own large plots of forested land within the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.

Potential Long Term Impact

Rainforest2Reef's conservation efforts will prevent millions of tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere by protecting previously unprotected standing tropical forest in the Meso-american corridor.

Project Message

Rainforest2Reef has established a solid track record in using conservation easements as a tool for private lands conservation (particularly lands owned by ejidos) in the buffer zone of Calakmul.
- Chris Stone, Director, CGF, Conservation International

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources