Maya Forest, The "Jewel" of Central America

"From above, the emerald shades of the Selva Maya hint at the diversity of life teeming under mahogany and gum species, barely betraying that much of it is post-colonial regrowth, rivaled in tenure by the ancient stone ruins that rise above the treetops. In withstanding hundreds of years of threats, this Mesoamerican ecosystem is now the largest contiguous block of rainforest north of the Amazon, safeguarding treasures of incalculable value." The Selva Maya, or Maya Forest, covers 35 million acres of Belize, north Guatemala, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and is home to many rare and endangered species, including the white-lipped peccary, tapir, scarlet macaw, harpy eagle, and howler monkey. Today, the forest is threatened with forest fires, illegal logging, flora and fauna trafficking, and habitat degradation as a result of agriculture.