Help Restore the Maya Golden Landscape

It has been a very busy time here at Yaaxche. Over the past months our Science Team has been conducting propagation trials on four species of trees that are of economic and ecological values. This include timber species such as My lady (White) (Aspidosperma megalocarpon) , Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii) and Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) ; the Tulche (Cymbopetalum mayanum) species was propagated for its ecological value. The tree species were propagated under different abiotic conditions: My lady was propagated under loamy vs. sandy soil conditions, Rosewood  was propagated under wet vs. dry seed conditions, Mahogany was propagated using different seed sizes and the Tul che was propagated using ripe vs. unripe seeds. From the results of the propagation trails, it was determined that greater degree of success was achieved when White Malady was propagated in loamy soil, Rosewood with dry seeds, Mahogany with larger seeds and Tulche with ripened seeds. 

The saplings were then transplanted into the Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve through the combined efforts of our Science, Community Outreach & Livelihoods Program and Yaaxche Institute for Conservation Education teams. This activity is a part of the efforts to reforest a portion of the forest that was burnt due to illegal agricultural activity. Other activities that support our planting mission saw our nursery making donations to six communities and primary schools, thirty pre-schools and two high schools. Our tour participants planted one hundred eighty fruit trees on farms in three communities. 

Yaaxche is thankful to all who made this initiative possible. Your kind contributions will allow us to continue our reforestation efforts and positively impact our invaluable forest ecosystem. 

Here is a link to some of the work we do: <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fyaaxche%2Fposts%2Fpfbid036cZ9dNMnJ7Cu6h6ntDWTqNSJaXB9ZW5n6VNRZDRJmvqxssckUziEQZnh2TxCyfHpl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="735" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>

Ya’axché has recently engaged the rural community of Aguacate in cacao agroforestry. This sustainable agricultural practice incorporates local livelihood development with reforestation, as cacao is a harvestable cash crop which requires between 30% to 60% overall shade. 

Although cacao is very well suited for the climate conditions of southern Belize, it hasn’t been popular among farmers in Aguacate village until recently, when they were provided an opportunity to participate in a learning exchange with a local agricultural cooperative, Trio Farmers Cacao Growers (TFCG). Seeing this group’s productive cacao plots led to Aguacate farmers wanting to emulate such restorative and sustainable agricultural practices on their own farms. 

Ya'axché's Agroforestry Extension Officers were able to deliver saplings in Aguacate the last week in September. The delivery totalled 375 fruit trees, 375 timber tress and 1,200 cacao saplings, all of which were grown in Ya'axché's nursery.  The nearly 2,000 saplings seems like a lot, but in reality, they will help in kickstarting five (5) cacao-based agroforestry plots for farmers part of Aguacate's agricultural cooperative, Aguacate Conservation and Development Committee, or ACDC for short. We are looking forward to supporting these farmers pave the way for climate-smart farming and local land stewardship through cacao agroforestry!