UAXACTUN
Region: Maya Biosphere Reserve, Department of Petén, Guatemala
Population: 800
Ethnic Background: 98% ladinos, 2% qéqchí
Forest Ecosystem: Humid subtropical forest. Between hilly and flat areas, there are stands of mahogany mixed with breadnut (Maya nut)
Main Livelihoods: Sale of forest products (palma de xate, pepper, breadnut, chicle); seasonal work in sawmill; work at archeological site, tourist services (food, lodging), rangers in Tikal National Park (23 km away)
Forest Dependency: Very High
What made this an interesting place for a youth workshop? Uaxactún, in the north of Petén, was established over 100 years ago by chicozapote (Manilkara zapota) resin collectors (used to make chicle). The community’s history has been closely tied to forest resource extraction. Until 1950 it was only reachable by plane. The community is located within the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), which was established in 1990. Uaxactún holds a 25-year forest concession that covers 83,558 hectares, the largest community-run forest concession in Mesoamerica. Granted in 2000, the concession will be up for renewal in 2025. Through this concession, the community has been able to carry out sustainable logging and extract NTFPs such as palma de xate (Chamaedorea spp), pimienta (Pimenta dioica), and Ramón (Brosimum alicastrum).
