The Bio-Itzá Association was formed in 1991 in an effort to rescue the ancestral knowledge and traditions of the Maya Itzá culture and associated tropical forests in northern Guatemala. The non-profit association is operated by local community-minded indigenous people of Mayan descent. The Association operates numerous outreach and education programmes (which you can read more about below). Bio-Itzá are aiming to raise money to buy the following pieces of equipment, which are essential to their work and listed below in order of need:

1. Repairs to the reserve vehicle. The reserve is 23km from the village, and due to the poor condition of the road, the vehicle has been damaged. Bio-Itzá are currently relying on help from other organisations to transport water and essential equipment to the rangers who protect the reserve.

2. Wire mesh. This is needed in the reserve to repair fences

3. Beds. Also needed in the reserve for the rangers who protect the area, and sleep there at night.

4. A laptop. A robbery in 2017 left the office without any equipment. Through donations they were able to buy a laptop, but it is shared by everyone at the association and a second is needed for the necessary office administration.

To read more about the history and the work of Bio-Itzá please read the Equator Initiative case study here: https://www.equatorinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/case_1348150252_EN.pdf

You can also find Bio-Itzá on Facebook . The information is in Spanish, but they also have an English website .