Skip to content
Rosewood germination box. © Ya’axché Conservation Trust

Rosewood germination box. © Ya’axché Conservation Trust

Conserving threatened timber species in Belize

Project
Project lead: Alicky Davey

Overview

Fauna & Flora works with longstanding partner, Ya’axché Conservation Trust (Ya’axché) to sustainably manage key timber species in Belize’s Maya Golden Landscape.

Our work in Belize

We work with Ya’axché to ensure that priority areas for threatened trees within the Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve are regularly monitored and protected from the threat of illegal logging. Building capacity in tree identification, survey techniques and tree propagation has enabled Ya’axché’s community ranger team to conduct comprehensive surveys of eight target species. These surveys are helping Ya’axché identify special management zones for threatened trees and the most suitable sites within the reserve for reinforcement planting. Since 2021, more than 580 threatened tree seedlings have been planted in degraded areas adjacent to established populations. We also work with the Belize Forestry Department to ensure the sustainable management of key species and enable communities to support rosewood conservation.

Project goals

We aim to develop and implement sustainable management of key timber species in the reserve, based on the species’ ecology and accurate population data, and to promote this to the Belizean government as a model for the management of timber species in other forest landscapes in Belize.

Project timeline

    Rosewood seed © Ya'axché Conservation Trust

    Rosewood seed © Ya'axché Conservation Trust

    2022

    Ya’axché collects viable seed and germinates seedlings from the critically endangered Honduran rosewood, Dalbergia stevensonii.

    2022

    No logging of Honduran rosewood within Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve for seventh year running.

    © Maximiliano Caal

    © Maximiliano Caal

    2015

    Ya’axché becomes co-manager of the Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve.

    2015

    Honduran rosewood listed on CITIES Appendix II, which limits trade in a species if deemed to be detrimental to its survival in the wild.

    Rosewood tree © Maximiliano Caal

    Rosewood tree © Maximiliano Caal

    2012

    National moratorium on rosewood extraction declared in Belize.

Discover: how the people of Belize are protecting the forest and their future.

Partners

This project is delivered in partnership with Ya’axché Conservation Trust.

Donors

We are grateful for financial support from Fondation Franklinia.

Rosewood leaves. © Maximiliano Caal

Brilliant trees

Plant diversity is fundamental to all life on this planet.

Please help us to protect the Honduran rosewood and the rest of the world’s threatened trees.

Support our work

Rosewood leaves. © Maximiliano Caal

Alicky Davey profile picture

Alicky Davey

Programme Manager, Plant Conservation