Survival in the Chiquibul | Cayo Scoop!  The Ecology of Cayo Culture | Scoop.it

Powerful article, with some amazing pictures, from Tony Rath, chronicling the adventure to the deepest parts of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve.  Excellent read.  Based upon all the evidence of xateros taking over the Chiquibul, he entitled the article, 'Belize is at War.'


"The Chiquibul is the largest protected area in Belize covering more than 265,000 acres of tropical broadleaf forests in the southern Cayo District. To the east lies the nearly 150,000 acre Chiquibul Forest Reserve, and to the south is the 100,000 acre Bladen Nature Reserve. The great Maya site of Caracol lies in the middle of the park. Doyle‘s Delight, the highest point in Belize (3675 feet), occurs on the southern edge of the park. The Chiquibul is also home to one of the last nesting sites of the scarlet macaw in Belize. And an estimated 540,000-square-foot Chiquibul Cave System, the largest in Belize and the longest in Central America, is a treasure trove of geological and archaeological wonders. In 2007, the Belize Forest Department and a local non-governmental organization (NGO) - Friends of Conservation and Development (FCD) - entered into a co-management agreement signifying for the first time an actual management of this unique and pristine landscape."