Ya’axche Institute for Conservation Education

The Maya Golden Landscape (MGL) in the Toledo District is a mélange of protected areas, private lands, and indigenous community lands. This landscape is a crucial biological corridor, connecting the Maya Mountain Massif to the Mesoamerican Reef. It forms part of the Selva Maya Forest and is recognized as a site of significant global biodiversity importance. The MGL provides essential habitats for a myriad of rare and IUCN-listed threatened and critically endangered species, such as the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) and all five wild cat species endemic to the region.

Ya’axché has since expanded to bring other key sites under conservation management and to engage with community partners in management of the wider landscape through a sustainable livelihoods programme. Today, Ya’axché is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in conservation and sustainable development.