The Chiquibul Forest

The Chiquibul Forest encompasses 16.8 percent (437,376 acres) of all protected areas, making it the largest protected area in Belize. The Chiquibul National Park accounts for majority of that area, covering 264,003 acres of land.

PACT’s Small Grants Programme has come a long way since the first one which was issued in 1997. PACT has issued over 40 Small Grants and today, has a Small Grant with Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), an NGO which co-manages the Chiquibul National Park.  PACT awarded $100,000 to FCD for their project entitled “Strengthening Management Effectiveness in the Chiquibul Forest.” This grant is to support FCD’s efforts to establish and implement a framework for biodiversity monitoring and management and continue addressing illegal incursions in the Chiquibul Forest. After three years of active surveillance and law enforcement the Chiquibul Forest still requires resources to mitigate the multiple impacts.

Currently, the Research, Inventory and Monitoring (RIM) Framework is being developed and staff have received training in GIS management. FCD is currently working on strengthening multi-agency, bi-national patrols along the border, and is increasing Law enforcement in the Chiquibul National Park hotspot areas to reduce illegal activities in the Chiquibul Forest. FCD has conducted 2 flyovers (along with 2 PACT staff) for aerial monitoring of Illegal incursions and inventorying.

As part of our 15th anniversary activities, PACT visited (along with FCD staff) the Chiquibul Forest. We journeyed along the different trails in the area including the Bird Tower trail and a Macal River boat ride. From this, we were able to view the resources in the area from different angles. We spotted various wildlife including wild turkeys, the white-tailed deer, crocodiles and iguanas. Also home to the area are tapirs (national animal of Belize) that use the area regularly to cool off in the Macal River. Of all wildlife, the Scarlet Macaw was most significant. This bird is rarely, if ever spotted on the regular in Belize and most Belizeans have never seen this magnificent bird in the wild. The only other place PACT staff has seen this bird is at the Belize Zoo. In Chiquibul, we saw them in numbers of more than 10 at a time!



Mr. Manzanero (Executive Director, FCD) shared with us changes during his time at Chiquibul. He revealed that over the last four years, the activity along the Western Border has increased as poachers from the neighbouring country, Guatemala enter Belize and engage in illegal activities such as logging and poaching of Macaws. With PACT’s financial assistance, FCD hopes to decrease the number of illegal activities. Mr. Manzanero admitted however, that there are many bright things to look forward to like the things PACT staff saw on the trip. Mr. Manzanero hopes to get more people interested in the area by having them visit Chiquibul and experience for themselves first-hand what the area has to offer.

Celebrating 15 years of innovation, leadership and impact in protected areas financing!