Due to climate change, this year was recorded as one of the hottest in history, one of the driest, and with the most prolonged summer in the northern region of Guatemala. The Mayan Jungle in this area was not so long ago considered the second “lung” of the Americas. This is no longer the case due to its rapid deforestation and frequent large fires.

There has been an average of 550 jungle fires per day in this region of Guatemala so far this year; most of them inside boundaries of protected areas of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve.

Sebastian with Green Balam Forests has been working nonstop to restore and conserve this precious and most needed Biosphere Reserve which is home to hundreds of thousands of animals and plants species that hold the ecosystem on such a fragile environment.

Sadly, lots of animal lives and trees were lost this year, due to the fires.

Sebastian and a team of workers fought hard, day and night for weeks, using their own resources to stop and mitigate the highly extended fires that damaged and crippled our most beloved Mayan Jungle. Thousands of dollars were spent and will be needed for the restoration and conservation of the land.

Check out Green Balam Forests’ Instagram for more photos, videos and information on this great organization and the disaster caused by the fires.

@Greenbalamforests