A biological corridor is an expanse of land that connects various habitats to one another. The connection of fragmented habitats into a larger, uninterrupted whole is critical for the health of both rainforests and the wildlife that they shelter.

Protecting the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, with its lush rainforests and rich biodiversity, has long been a top priority of the international conservation community. Part this corridor is a continuous expanse of land stretching from the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve and protecting this area is the focus of Rainforest2Reef’s work. This land forms a major part of the 6,000,000 acres of the great Selva Maya Rainforest, the second largest rainforest in the Americas after the Amazon.

This area has several extraordinary features:

ITS WILDLIFE
Mexico is host to approximately 10% of all plant and animal species in the world. Unfortunately, many of these plant and animal species are endangered with extinction due to man-made threats such as agriculture, cattle ranching and illegal trade. The Selva Maya rainforest is home to:

Jaguars and other Big Cats
Jaguars have lost 2/3 of their habitat in Mexico and Central America, and their numbers are going down as rainforest habitat dwindles. Approximately 3,000 jaguars currently roam the Selva Maya rainforest, as well as other species of Big Cats including: the Puma, Ocelot, Jaguarundi and Margay. Click here to read more about our work to preserve the habitat of jaguars within the Reserve.

Birds
There are 350 species of birds that either inhabit or migrate through Calakmul, which is 33% of all bird species in Mexico. Over 100 of them are considered endangered. Rainforest2Reef is exploring innovative partnerships and programs to preserve these bird populations. Click here to learn more about our work to protect bird populations.

Over 60,000 other species
Of the tens of thousands of species that live within the Selva Maya, nearly 160 are endangered. These include: the Black howler monkey, Central American spider monkey, Baird’s Tapir, White-lipped Peccary, King Vulture, Ornate Hawk Eagle, Black and White Hawk-eagle, and Morelett´s Crocodile.

ITS PEOPLE
Much of the land within the Selva Maya rainforest is owned by local communities called ejidos. These indigenous communities have historically depended upon the land for subsistence farming, but today they are faced with new and difficult economic choices. The ejidos can either sell their land to timber companies who destructively log the precious habitat, or engaging in slash and burn agriculture or poaching. Rainforest2Reef works with ejiditarios to develop new solutions which are both economically viable and eco-friendly. Click here to learn more about our work with the ejidos.

ITS CULTURAL LEGACY
Alongside its natural legacy, the land stretching from the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is also considered the cradle of classical Mayan civilization. Together with Guatemala’s Tikal, the city of Calakmul is one of the greatest Mayan sites ever discovered and includes more than 4000 structures. For this reason, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve a World Heritage Site in 2002. For more information on these archeological sites click here.