Happy Holidays! Our very best wishes to you this festive season. May 2021 bring you peace, joy and prosperity. From all staff members of FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Posted December, 2020
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The Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, has lots of wild vanilla orchid vines growing in many areas. We find these vines in swamps at sea level (south inlet of east end of El Golfete portion of Rio Dulce); we find wild vanilla orchid vines on karst hills elsewhere in Izabal. And now a helpful park ranger of Tapon Creek nature reserve, managed by FUNDAECO, has sent us photos of the seed pods, the capsules or beans of these wild vanilla orchid vines.
Photograph by Lucas Cuz, park ranger, FUNDAECO, Tapon Creek nature reserve, using Google Pixel telephone camera provided by FLAAR (USA) and FLAAR Mesoamerica (Guatemala).
We are rushing out to the Caribbean today since this is a remarkable opportunity to learn from the local Q’eqchi’ Mayan park rangers. We need to learn in how many different months do these vines bloom? In how many different months can you see the seed pods.
You can also find lots of wild vanilla orchid vines in many areas of Parque Nacional Yaxha Nakum Naranjo, (PNYNN), Peten. The family of Senaida Ba Mucu, has found wild vanilla orchids in the mountains of Alta Verapaz near Chipemech (between Senahu and Cahabon). We of FLAAR have photographed these vines here and in the many areas of PNYNN and all around the Municipio de Livingston, Izabal. But never have we seen them flowering in the wild.
So clearly the Classic Maya of thousands of years ago had plenty of vanilla for flavoring their cacao beverages.
We show the photos of the flower buds on home page of www.maya-archaeology.org.
Posted December 2, 2020
SAVING EARTH Magazine, Winter 2020, is now available, with an article by Nicholas Hellmuth, FLAAR Mesoamerica, on TREE TRUNK ECOSYSTEMS
pp. 58-62, with one additional page (page 63) on FLAAR (USA) and FLAAR Mesoamerica (Guatemala).
Posted November 30, 2020
In the virtual course "Native plants of Guatemala" (Plantas Nativas de Guatemala, in Spanish, -PNG) you can learn generalities of plants and their different uses, both in the Mayan culture and today.
It is divided into 5 modules every Saturday from October 24th to November 21th of this year, from 10:00AM to 11:30AM (Guatemala schedule) and it's completely FREE. We are having special guests and learning activities. Do not miss it!
You can find more information by entering here:
Also you can find the whole virtual course here:
Posted October 28, 2020
Find it in Livingston: Water Lilies Paradise
First virtual presentation of FLAAR Mesoamerica Photo Essays. The actual sacred water lily flowers (depicted in classical Mayan art) can be photographed on both sides of El Golfete, on both sides of the boat, on the tour by the inlets along the El Golfete, portion of Río Dulce, inlet to Lago Izabal and the Atlantic Ocean, Izabal in Guatemala. Nymphaea ampla and Nymphoides indica along the fresh waters from El Golfete.
On September 22, 2020, during the virtual launch of our three Photo Essays, we chatted with professionals and the audience interested in nature, specially interested about this peculiar lily and the experience in the expedition in Livignston, Izabal. This event is thanks to the support of the Municipality of Livingston and the FLAAR Mesoamerica team.
Or also you can watch it here:
Posted October 28, 2020
Peten and Alta Verapaz are palm paradise areas of Guatemala, but it turns out that there is a popular palm species, Manicaria saccifera, confra palm, that is found in Guatemala ONLY in salt water and brackish water coastal areas of the Municipio de Livingston and adjacent parts of coastal Izabal, Guatemala.
More info on our Manicaria saccifera, confra palm web page.
Posted October 23, 2020
