Community Development

This innovative planning and management strategy, collectively conceived by experts at the Mesa Redonda gatherings, recognizes that a critical component for the preservation of cultural and natural resources is the incorporation of local communities into management design and implementation.

The success of local outreach at El Pilar can best be seen in the growth of the community organizations linked to the program. Local groups based in both Belize and Guatemala work together with the El Pilar program to develop an inclusive relationship between the community and the reserve that is mutually beneficial. The development of this dynamic relationship lies at the heart of the El Pilar philosophy—promote resilience with community education, reform local-level resource management values around culture and nature, and inform conservation designs for the Maya Forest.

In 1993 the local villagers established their first community organization, Amigos de El Pilar (AdEP). AdEP identified its mission as follows: to foster community partnerships in the creation and management of El Pilar, to develop new livelihood opportunities, to promote sustainable income-generation geared toward the growing eco-tourism industry, and to educate on the preservation of natural and cultural resources.