Central American River Turtle by WCS-Yamira Novelo
What We ’ re Doing
Protecting Endangered Species
Your gift helped create a safe and permanent home for many threatened species including the Critically Endangered Central American River Turtle . The only living species in its family , this turtle makes its home in the Cox Lagoon wetlands in the Maya Forest Corridor .
Other protected species in this forest include Baird ’ s Tapir ( EN ), Geoffroy ’ s Spider Monkey ( EN ) and the Yucatán Black Howler Monkey ( EN )— all of which require vast expanses of habitat to thrive . In addition , populations of iconic species , including Jaguars and White-lipped Peccaries ( VU ), will benefit from the safe passage created in this newly connected corridor .
Baird ’ s Tapir by Mark Kostich / Shutterstock
Our Ongoing Commitment
The Maya Forest Corridor project is part of our ongoing commitment to the protection of the great forests of Central America , the most expansive tropical forests north of the Amazon . In Belize , we supported the purchase of a keystone 236,686-acre block of tropical forest as part of a consortium of international conservation organizations . Soon after the closing on the property , the Belize Maya Forest Trust was established as a local nonprofit to manage the long-term conservation of the Belize Maya Forest . Our most recent purchase , and an additional donation in progress of 23,314 acres , will bring the total acres to 289,941 — exceeding our goal by 101 % of the expected total .