Guatemala's Scarlet Macaw Ecotourism Trail
Conservation International

Flores, Guatemala -- Conservation International (CI), CI/ProPeten and Guatemalan communities of Centro Campesino and El Cruce a Dos Aguadas will welcome the first group of ecotourists to hike the Scarlet Macaw Trail this spring. The launching of ecotourism along the trail promises to help curb the destruction of rain forests within the Maya Biosphere Reserve, thus protecting critical habitat for the endangered Scarlet Macaw and increasing visits to the El Peru archaeological site.

Located within the Maya Biosphere Reserve, a 4 million acre protected area established in northern Guatemala in 1990, the site provides breeding grounds for the Scarlet Macaw. As an ecotourism attraction, the endangered birds will not only be properly observed by tourists, but the presence of tourists in nesting areas makes it much more difficult for poachers to steal birds. Visitor presence will also deter the common practice of looting at the El Peru archeolgical site and agricultural encroachment into the Reserve.

As one community guide, Fidelino Diaz of Centro Campesino, puts it, "It is very difficult to protect the forest here because we have so many people moving into the area and clearing the land for farms, and the loggers keep cutting the trees to use in construction. But with this type of tourism, we are trying to protect some of the natural richness of the area for all to appreciate."

With the support and participation of the local communities, CI/ProPeten has been developing infrastructure for increasing tourism in the rainforest surrounding the El Peru archaeological site. The Scarlet Macaw Trail Tour is a five-day, ecologically-sensitive excursion, led and managed by inhabitants of the Centro Campesino and El Cruce a Dos Aguadas communities. Local guides interpret the natural attractions and culture, and provide local cuisine in rustic, low impact campsites.

"In the community, between 30 and 40 families are benefitting from tourism through the many services that are being provided. I believe that we will improve economically and socially through tourism," says Luis Espino Esquivel, President of the Toursim Committee in Centro Campesino.

The Scarlet Macaw Trail offers adventurous travelers many activities and attractions: immersion into the culture of typical Peten communities, observing rare wildlife, visiting a breeding site of the endangered scarlet macaw, trekking through various ecosystems, including the rich forests of the Laguna del Tigre National Park, exploring the little known Maya ruins of El Peru, and boating down the luch waterways of the San Pedro River. But more importantly, the Scarlet Macaw Trail allows visitors to participate in local conservation efforts.

Michael Saxton of Boyd Travelers Inc., an ecotour company based in Illinois, sums up the attractions: "If you like ecology and care about the environment, the Scarlet Macaw Trail will satisfy you on every level. Your dollars go directly towards the preservation of the region. You'll meet the people who live there, discover Maya history, learn about sustainable development -- and if you're lucky -- spend the night with the howler monkeys or wake to the squawks of endangered macaws."

For information on this project, contact Jill McLaughlin at J.MCLAUGHLIN@conservation.org.