|
|
|
Who are we?
|
|
|
WHO IS LA ASOCIACIÓN BIOSFERA Y DESARROLLO AGRÍCOLA SOSTENIBLE (BIDAS)?
BIDAS is a private, not for profit, apolitical, non-religious organization dedicated to environmental, social, cultural, and educational development. Founded in 1994 by a group of Guatemalans, BIDAS was established in the department of Alta Verapaz, in the municipality of Cobán. BIDAS is the umbrella organization of which Proyecto Ecológico Quetzal is a part.
|
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF BIDAS?
To conserve, value, and protect cultural and natural resources by improving standards of living in rural communities, beginning and advancing sustainable agriculture, and any other productive activity that prevents the deterioration of the natural resources of Alta Verapaz.
|
WHAT IS PROYECTO ECOLÓGICO QUETZAL (PEQ)?
PEQ was born when a group of German students completed their social service in Guatemala in 1988. The project carried out an inventory of the regional cloud forests and the monitoring of the distribution of the quetzal in the mountains of Caquipec, Guaxac y Yalijux in the department of Alta Verapaz, where the largest density of these rare and beautiful birds is found, roughly 145 birds per square kilometer.
Now, PEQ is a non-governmental (NGO), not-for-profit organization located in Cobán, A.V., dedicated to the conservation and protection of the forests in the department of Alta Verapaz. We work with Mayan Q'eqchi' communities to promote the sustainable use of the natural resources found in the area. With these communities, we identify alternative sources of work. Our current programs include sustainable agriculture (with over 1,000 rural farmers), eco-tourism, bio-monitoring of the vast bird populations, and environmental education to strengthen awareness and respect for our forests. We have obtained economic support from various international institutions such as Landesbund fur Vogelschutzm (LBV), GEO Tropical Rainforest of Hamburg Alemaina, Ministerio de Cooperación Económica Alemana (BMZ), La Unión Mundial para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN), and recently the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation of the United States (NFWF).
|
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF PEQ?
To conserve and protect the habitat of the quetzal and other species of wildlife in the forests of the department of Alta Verapaz by providing its inhabitants alternatives and promoting the rational and sustainable use of renewable natural resources. We employ various components such as sustainable agriculture, bio-monitoring of bird species, and handicraft and ecotourism (low-impact tourism) projects as alternatives to protect the sub-tropical rain and cloud forests of Alta Verapaz and improve the quality of life for the rural poor inhabants of this region.
|
|
|
 CHECK out the new map and guide to Alta Verapaz!
 Take a look at a map to see where we operate!
|
 SEE our candle products!
|
 TAKE a virtual
Eco-Tour!
|
|
|
© 2002 Proyecto Ecológico Quetzal. All rights reserved.
2a Calle 14-36, Zona 1, Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
TEL/FAX: (502) 7 952-1047 E-MAIL: bidaspeq@gmail.com
|
This site is generously hosted by:
Pet Homepages at Pet-Pix.com
|
|
|
|
