Walking a dirt trail through a lush Central American forest, Elma Kay, a biologist and former professor at the University of Belize, where she co-founded the Environmental Research Institute, is careful not to be run over by watch out for a poisonous snake.
“They are the same color as the dead leaves that litter the ground
,” she explains.
She heads inside a tropical forest of almost 1000 km2 which she supervises with the help of twelve rangers.
A nerve center of biodiversity
Previously,
“this site was operated by two subsidiaries of the American group Forestland”
, indicates Johny Tzib, student at Virginia Tech in the United States, who worked there as a forester to
“inventory the trees”
there .
“There hasn’t been any tree cutting for three years
,” says Elma Kay proudly.
Nature has reclaimed its rights.
This scientist knows the region well.
Originally from northern Belize, she has watched helplessly for years as clear cuts have damaged biodiversity.
But with Belize…
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