Adaptive Management:

The El Pilar Program has attracted an international, multidisciplinary team with the momentum to evolve a unique collaborative conservation plan to rescue the forest, curtail looting, and recover the cultural heritage of the Maya forest region. This plan incorporates local community understanding and intergovernmental cooperation to apply a conservation agenda focused around the ancient Maya center of El Pilar.

In 1997 the first Mesa Redonda (Round Table) brought together 28 professionals from Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States representing archaeology, ecology, law, and government to establish a comprehensive set of values and guidelines to shape the focus of development and management at El Pilar. This Mesa Redonda planning team convened again in 1998 and 2000 to set the groundwork for a management strategy that balances the interests of governments, professionals, and community members alike, and highlights the values of Archaeology Under the Canopy.

Learn more about adaptive management at El Pilar, click here!