News Room

News Room

(January 09, 2024)   -   Due to an unprecedented El Niño event combined with the impacts of climate change, the planet is experiencing never before seen climate anomalies, with global air and sea surface temperatures pushing far higher than ever recorded. This global phenomenon is impacting some areas more severely than others, and Mesoamerica’s forests, wildlife and people are likely to be  hit especially hard during the next 6-12 months.

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(November 29, 2023)   -   Jaguar populations in Mesoamerica face critical threats. The destruction of their natural habitat, driven by illegal ranching and the trafficking of jaguar parts, endangers the survival of these majestic felines.

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(October 30, 2023)   -   The Maya Forest Corridor (MFC) in Belize faces a significant threat: wildfires. These fires, often triggered by human activities, can have devastating consequences for communities and biodiversity. During the 2023 fire season, which ran from February to June, a high level of fire activity was observed throughout the MFC. Our team diligently monitored this situation and identified a total of 29 individual fires that created four significant wildfire hotspots. 

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(October 27, 2023)   -   The Hicatee population Cox Lagoon in the Maya Forest Corridor in Belize continues to exist! This, even though unsustainable hunting and habitat loss have resulted in the elimination of hicatees in majority of its range, which include certain Atlantic drainages of Guatemala, southern Mexico and throughout Belize..

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(September 20, 2023)   -   In a joint effort to safeguard the biological and cultural diversity of the Mesoamerican region, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Re:wild, and the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB) announced the "More Trees, Fewer Cows" initiative during Climate Week New York. This unprecedented alliance aims to raise awareness and take strong action against illegal cattle ranching activities in Indigenous territories and protected areas.

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(September 07, 2023)   -   In the context of the International Clean Air Day for blue skies, whose theme this year is "Together for Clean Air," it is crucial to recognize how climatological phenomena like El Niño can exacerbate the issue of forest fires in Mesoamerica and their effects on the 5 Great Forests.

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(November 10, 2022) Study across 31 openly accessible online platforms in seven languages detected 230 posts with possible jaguar parts for sale 71 posts were accompanied by images that were positively identified as jaguar 15 different types of jaguar parts were identified, including teeth, skins and claws 98.6 percent of all posts accompanied by verified jaguar parts were in Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese 64 posts were assessed to be linked to a location, and of at least nine countries, the most prolific c...

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(May 04, 2021) Findings support global “30 by 30” goal of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 Study published in the journal Marine Policy shows a no-take marine protected area (MPA) in Kenya was able to compensate for overfishing by increasing and maintaining the growth rate of fish populations by 42% over 24 years  Study compared two common fisheries management approaches - protected area closures and fishing gear restrictions Gear restrictions provided short-term bene...

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(July 21, 2020) A Nassau grouper. CREDIT: A. Tewfik/WCS. BELIZE CITY , BELIZE |  JULY 31, 2020 - The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) congratulates the Government of Belize for legislating the expansion of its southernmost marine protected area. The newly expanded Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve now totals an area covering 321,623.5 acres (more than 500 square miles, or 1,301.6 square kilometers). In addition to the existing zones, the expansion includes a strictly protected area (co...

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(July 07, 2020) Scientists used remote cameras to photograph unusual jaguar in both Belize and Guatemala First known documentation of a jaguar crossing between these two countries Otherwise healthy jaguar is missing part of its tail from unknown injury Finding highlights the importance of securing critical forests on at-risk private properties at the Belize-Guatemala border Download copies of the study, additional images and figures CREDIT: Marcella Kelly PETÉN , GUATEMALA  |&nbs...

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