Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Alianza Verde
(Parque Central, Flores, Petén,
www.alianzaverde.org
)
, for its part, has
done an excellent job of promoting low-impact tourism in Petén as part of its mandate to
aidintheprotectionandconservationoftheregion'spreciousnaturalresources.Inaddition
to marketing efforts, Alianza Verde certifies ecotourism operations and aids in the training
of tourism staff to improve Petén's tourism offerings and visitor experience. It functions
as an association of businesses, organizations, and individuals who make their livelihood
from Petén's valuable tourism industry.
Another important organization is the Asociacion de Rescate y Conservacion de Vida
Silvestre(WildlifeRescueandConservationAssociation),or
ARCAS
(4Ave.2-47,Sector
B5, Zona 8 Mixco, San Cristóbal, Guatemala, tel. 2476-6001,
www.arcasguatemala.com
)
.
It works to protect and rehabilitate wildlife, including sea turtles on the Pacific Coast and
animals falling prey to poaching for the lucrative pet trade in Petén, including cats, mon-
keys, and birds.
Several organizations operate in Guatemala's eastern Verapaces and Izabal regions.
Workingtopreservetheendangeredquetzal,
Proyecto Ecoquetzal
(2aCalle14-36Zona1,
Coban, Alta Verapaz, tel. 7952-1047,
www.ecoquetzal.org
) works with local communities
to provide alternative income sources such as ecotourism and promote sustainable agricul-
ture in the remaining cloud forests of northern Alta Verapaz.
Asociacion Ak' Tenamit
(11
Avenida “A” 9-39 Zona 2, Guatemala City, tel. 2254-1560 Guatemala City, tel. 7908-3392
Lívingston,
www.aktenamit.org
) is a grassroots, Mayan-run development organization fo-
cusing its efforts on education, health care, the creation of alternative income sources and
sustainable agriculture.
Finally,
Tropico Verde
(Vía 6 4-25 Zona 4, Edificio Castañeda, Oficina 41, Guatemala
Citytel.2339-4225
www.tropicoverde.org
)
isawatchdogorganizationmonitoringthestate
ofGuatemala'sparksviafieldstudies.Inadditiontolocalmonitoring,ithelpsbringaware-
ness of local repercussions of international environmental issues such as Guatemala's par-
ticipation in international conventions on whaling, to name just one example.
Guatemala harbors an astounding degree of biodiversity due greatly to the variety of eco-
systems found within its borders. Its location in the Central American land bridge between
North and South America means it is the southernmost range for certain North American
species as well as the northernmost range for certain Southern Hemisphere species. Four-
teen of the 38 Holdridge Life Zones are represented in Guatemala.
