This series of photographs of ecosystems of Izabal and Peten is available in two formats, 6MB and 27MB. You can post this, share it, use in in your classrooms presentations (no permission required).
The Spanish original (with video and voice) is already available below. The PowerPoint (in .pdf format, above) is updated with additional written text.
We (FLAAR Mesoamerica research team) are preparing to do animated videos to help school children around the world (and their parents) learn about biodiversity in the Peten, Izabal, and Alta Verapaz areas of Guatemala. We have a research library in-house, we have an e-library (over 4,000 downloaded reports, books, theses, dissertations, etc.). Plus we have the experience of Dr Nicholas’s half-century in Guatemala (arriving here in 1963).
But, the best way to learn is to ask local people in Peten, in Izabal, and in Alta Verapaz: they know things about local flora and fauna that is not in any book. So we asked park ranger Teco (Moises Daniel Pérez Díaz) if he had some suggestions for what aspects of the forest to show surrounding the white-tailed deer and red brocket deer: both live in Tikal, Yaxha and all nearby areas from Chiapas to Belize and up in Campeche and Quintana Roo (and of course elsewhere in Mesoamerica). But their diet will be very different depending on whether the white-tailed deer lives in Virginia, Missouri, Texas, northern Mexico, Oaxaca, etc. We want to learn about the deer in Peten and Izabal areas.
Unfortunately Zoom could handle only 100 people at a time, so the presentation was sold out quickly. Now, in the link for May 6, the entire presentation is now available as a download for you.
We have found and photographed Costus in full flower in
Parque Nacional Yaxha Nakum Naranjo, Peten
Along road from Plan Grande Tatin to Livingston, Izabal
Near Q’eqchi’ Mayan Aldea Rio Tzetoc, Muni Coban, Alta Verapaz
Arroyo Petexbatun area, Sayaxche, Peten
These are all areas that are seasonally wet.
On most of the Costus flowers in most of these areas there were ants happily wandering around the flowers. So if you are a biologist, botanist or entomologist, this is a great ant-plant mutualistic relationship to learn about.
Costus flowers, photo by Nicholas Hellmuth, Nikon D810, along road from Plan Grande Tatin to Livingston, Izabal, March 13, 2020.
Costus flowers, photo by David Arrivillaga, Nikon, along road from Plan Grande Tatin to Livingston, Izabal, March 13, 2020.
There are Costus flowers in many of the biodiverse ecosystems of the Municipio de Livingston, Departamento de Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. This is a friendly area: we come and stay an entire week each time.
As soon as the Coronavirus pandemic around the world clears up, we look forward to returning to Rio Dulce, El Golfete, Lake Izabal, and Amatique Bay to see, photograph, learn about, and publish more flora and fauna.
Butterfly in Biotope Chocon Machacas, north side of El Golfete, Rio Dulce, Municipio de Livingston, Departamento de Izabal, Guatemala, Central America.
Photograph by David Arrivilaga, FLAAR Mesoamerica, March 2020.
Guatemala has butterflies everywhere. Most butterflies are hard-working pollinators, so it is helpful NOT to use pesticides and herbicides all over your garden and agricultural fields.
A great place to see butterflies are nature reserves since here you can find all the original native tropical rain forest plants. So you can see, photograph, and learn about lots of butterflies.
The Municipio de Livingston is where we are doing flora and fauna research since February 2020. There are so many different biodiverse ecosystems that you can find whatever kind of flowering plants or butterflies or moths that you are interested in.
We will be showing some busy bee pollinators in a subsequent post. But today we show this handsome butterfly, just waiting for you to photograph it.
Keep in mind that there are a lot more pollinators than just bees, birds, butterflies and bats. We will discuss this in future posts.