Save the Maya Biosphere Reserve

The Maya Biosphere Reserve -MBR- encompasses the largest protected areas and national parks in Northern Guatemala. Together with the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve and the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas and Campeche, respectively (both in Mexico) it is the largest jungle reserve in the American continent after the Amazon jungle. The MBR is the cradle of Maya civilization and it holds the amazing architectural remains, the pyramids and temples, of one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world.

Every year he Maya Biosphere Reserve -MBR- faces the possibility of being destroyed forever due to forest fires. Global warming only contributes to increasing the dangers together with illegal logging, poaching and looting of the historic sites, as well as with the growing tendency of illegal cattle ranchers to encroach in the MBR. All of these conditions, combined with corrupt government officials and their lack of support for our park guards and park managers, is a guaranteed formula for the loss of a large and important part of our world's biodiversity, which is under threat of extinction.

Saving the Maya Biosphere Reserve is a cause supported by most Guatemalans and friends from other nations, as we understand this is important not only for our country but for the world.

This campaign has been organized so as to be able to do more and carry out a 3 tier action plan:

1. to be able to carry out political lobbying and pay for lawyers to counteract the near-sighted and innapropriate political decisions that will destroy our national parks within the Maya Biosphere Reserve
2. to be able to closely observe the valuable resources found in our natural protected areas through technology, developing our own monitoring and control mechanisms, using sensors and the internet of things and
3. to be able to launch a small nano-cube satellyte into space in 2020 to obtain data such as temperature, hot spots and smoke as well as suspended partilcles to establish an effective early alert system against forest fires in the Maya Biosphere Reserve

Volunteers who can travel and contribute to our project are expected to be able to travel to Guatemala on their own and spend 2 to 3 weeks camping and carrying out intense physical labor, joining local youth organizations in charge of installing the sensors at selected locations around the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Engineers who specialize in the internet of things, sensors and data processing may also volunteer and bring their skills, knowledge and ideas to the field and to the conservation of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, joining local technology experts and professionals.