Global Conservation is funding a four (4) year Global Park Defense program to protect Mirador National Park and the Mirador Wilderness Area comprised of Biotopos Dos Lagunas, Selva Maya and El Zotz which together comprise the largest tropical forest complete in Mesoamerica.
In 2017, we funded the establishment of the Mirador Rangers and the national park’s first management and protection authority. Rainforest Trust is providing matching funding up to $125,000 per year for a total budget of $250,000 a year.
Global Conservation purchased two additional ATV´s for special team (Genesis group)
Joint patrols with Mexican police, rangers and military have let illegal loggers and hunters know Guatemala is serious about protecting its world heritage.
Fires are now entering the Mirador Basin, containing thousands of archaeological sites and the last itact major forests of the Maya Biosphere.
Based on our work with the Guatemalan private sector and multiple governments over the past decade, we are now in a unique position to realize the permanent protection of Mirador National Park, positioned to be the largest proposed new wilderness area north of the Amazon Basin.
Maya Biosphere with logging concessions giving out where there are over 16,000 buildings, causeways, temples and pyramids in 20 plus ancient cities.
A major forestry concession was recently added to Mirador adjacent and below the national park – Selva Maya- El Lechugal – over 24,000 hectares, and we are in negotiations to ‘buy out’ another logging concession of over 60,000 hectares in the coming year.
Illegal logger's truck was confiscated on the border with Mexico.
Summary of 2018 Progress
1. Mirador Rangers patrolled over 20,000 kilometers across Mirador National Park and Wilderness Area.
2. New Ranger Station constructed to support protection and tourism into Mirador.
3. Comprehensive Jaguar Population Study was completed showing over 4,600 jaguars in Mirador.
4. Hired six (6) new rangers and equipped with necessary gear, truck and ATVs for patrolling long distances in dense forests.
5. Designed and delivered conservation educational materials for children at schools in Carmelita and surrounding communities.
6. Six patrols per month average in 2018, for a total or over 68 patrols, equivalent to 536 effective days patrolled by 6 groups who have traveled a total of 19,216 kilometers in 5,360 patrol hours.
7. 36 illegal activities were alerted to police authorities, including 15 incidents of commercial hunting.
8. Deployed Global Park Defense and SMART Ranger patrols now is used for planning and data collection on illegal activities, wildlife sightings and patrol activities supported by Trailcam Network – see hunters (Nov. 2018) below.
SMART Patrols - over 25,000 kilometers in 2018
Global Park Defense - 2018 Results
Stopping Illegal Activities; Deterrent to Illegal Logging and Wildlife Crime:
• Mexican illegal loggers where chased back into Mexico after cutting 43 trees of the Hormigo or Palo Marimba (Platymiscium dimorphandrum) species.
• Two combined patrols of Guatemala and Mexico were organized and captured 2 people, one of Mexican and one Guatemalan nationality, and seized a pickup truck with equipment for dragging and sawing wood.
• The Mexican was tried and given 4 years in prison, with bail of Q.10,000 (US $ 1,300) and expelled from the country to be sentenced in Mexico. The Guatemalan was stopped loading wood and is currently in the judicial process.
• Illegal Mexican hunters captured by camera trap inside Guatemala were reported to Calakmul authorities and forced to ask for forgiveness and send a note to the Guatemalan authorities.
• An illegal Guatemalan hunter from Carmelita logging concession was arrested and the Cooperativa de Carmelita and sanctioned the hunter and dismissed him from his job.
• 15 incidents of commercial hunting (avg. 2 a month) have been observed, mainly in the Uaxactún Community Forest Concession, on the route to Dos Lagunas, as well as on the Guatemala-Mexico border line.
• We detained 2 Mexican hunters on the Guatemala-Mexico border line (105th marker), sector E / Río Azul, confiscating 1 rifle and 2 specimens of wildlife. The worrying thing is that most hunters are young between 15-30 years, so it is important to consider alternative livelihoods like guiding and tourism to reduce hunting.
Arrests of illegal loggers and wildlife poachers create a high level of perceived protection for Mirador, as well as actual surveillance and patrolling.
Illegal Hunting
Hidden cameras record groups of hunters entering the national park, helping in locating illegals and prosecution.
Mexican hunters on the border. Human trafficking and drug running are also issues. Below hunter on Trailcam and illegal logging operation deep in the park.
Looting of Archaeological Sites
Recovered damaged plate from looters trench. Over 30,000 looters trenches are known and recorded within Mirador.
Aggressive Illegals Burning Park Station
Above: Before arson and after (below).
Burning of park signs at entrance to the Park on the border line between Guatemala – Mexico (boundary 105), sector E / Río Azul. Unhappy loggers and hunters.
New Mirador Ranger Station
New Mirador Ranger Station and Tourism Visitor Center funded by Global Conservation and Rainforest Trust,, with support from the March Conservation Fund. Placed at a strategic location to stop illegal activities on the main trails.
Entrance to new Mirador Ranger Station and Visitor Center at El Jabalí.
Collaboration with Government and Communities
Tourism training for Mirador Rangers and Community Ecoguards from Carmelita.
Department of Defense briefing on Peten illegal activities and plans for protection.
Mirador Director Francisco Asturius with Vice Minister of Defense.
In addition to the release of our brand new Community Protection Handbook, in which we show our deeply developed strategy for the joint protection of National Parks and Indigenous Territories, we also get to share our 2022–2023 GC Progress Report for the first time.
read moreGlobal Conservation has released the first trailer for our "War On Nature" series, featuring world-famous conservation photographer and filmmaker Paul Hilton, whose coverage of Uganda recently made headlines world-wide.
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Global Conservation’s Executive Director was on mission recently to Komodo National Park, meeting with the National Park Authority and GC Partner in Conservation—Komodo Survival Program. We commit to a new 3-Year Global Park Defense Program and also highlight the rangers' success and goals for the future.
This Three-Day Conference will Provide Critical Knowledge Sharing and Training for over 150 National Park Leaders from 18 Developing Countries
