In an effort sensitize young kids about the importance of wildlife protection and forest conservation, Ya'axche hosted their first ever BioBlitz event at the Golden Stream Watershed Ecosystem, a preserve located on the southernmost part of the Country. The 15,000 acre preserve is owned and managed by the conservation trust and is home to about 17 identified major ecosystems. The preserve makes a home for several species of mammals and several hundreds of species of birds, but on Friday last week the preserve turned into an interactive educational center for several primary school students of Toledo who were hosted by the Ya'axche group as they learned valuable wildlife monitoring techniques. The Ya'axche Executive Director told us more about the event.
Christina Garcia, Ya'axche Executive Director
"We hosted approximately 114 students from different buffering communities' schools mainly Indian Creek, Medina Bank, Golden Stream and Trio Village. The importance of the activity today was really good because we've shared some of the work that we've been doing here in the Maya golden landscape. Students had the opportunity to really learn from our rangers, learn from the staff in terms of the monitoring that occurs 
within the protected areas that we managed. We do believe that these students are going to share the information with the adults, with their parents in terms of what they learn here today."
Said Guiterrez, Ya'axche Science Director
"The intention was to show them how we do our work in respect to biodiversity, for example, birds mammals, we also worked within freshwater systems. We taught them to use compasses, GTS - they learnt how to identify birds. They looked at mammals, the tracks. They also look at the equipment that is used for it."
Edvincio Coc, Indian Creek Primary School
"I learn today that how many trees are good for being in our homes. It is illegal to go and cut Mahogany trees is protected areas."
Melanie Serano, Trio Government School
"I have been learning about wildlife and I know that it's a good project, because I know how important is the life in the forest and to preserved their lives is not only to protect them, it's also your resources in the habitats and the trees, especially for birds. Because birds make their nests and their homes there and the trees also gives us oxygen. So I think it's a very important project and it's a very good project protecting the wildlife in the forest."
One of Ya'axche's main objectives as a conservation trust is to encourage local communities around the area to utilize selected forest resources in a sustainable and permitted manner.
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