Top 22 Maya Organization Doing Great Work in and Around Maya Bioregion
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization with extensive work in the Maya Bioregion, protecting over 2 million hectares across the Maya Forest and Mesoamerican Reef through partnerships with indigenous communities, sustainable forestry, and marine protected areas in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
Their efforts include restoring degraded lands, combating illegal logging, and enhancing biodiversity corridors for species like jaguars and sea turtles, while promoting green economies that benefit local livelihoods and mitigate climate change impacts on vital ecosystems.
WWF Mesoamerica leads conservation across the Maya Bioregion by safeguarding the Mesoamerican Reef, the world’s second-largest barrier reef, and the Selva Maya forest, focusing on sustainable fisheries, coral restoration, and anti-deforestation initiatives in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.
Through community empowerment and policy advocacy, they protect endangered species such as whale sharks and scarlet macaws, while addressing threats like overfishing and climate-induced bleaching to ensure resilient ecosystems that support millions of people dependent on these natural resources.
The Wildlife Conservation Society has operated in the Maya Bioregion for over 25 years, conserving the core of the Maya Forest in Guatemala and Belize through community-based wildlife management, anti-poaching patrols, and habitat restoration for key species like jaguars, tapirs, and Central American river turtles.
Their programs integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific monitoring to reduce deforestation rates in the Maya Biosphere Reserve and enhance connectivity across the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, fostering sustainable human-wildlife coexistence amid growing pressures from agriculture and illegal trade.
Rainforest Alliance advances sustainable land use in the Maya Bioregion by partnering with 25 ejidos in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and 12 community forestry concessions in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, promoting certified sustainable timber, agroforestry, and reforestation to restore native flora like mahogany and ceiba trees while protecting fauna such as howler monkeys and peccaries.
Their certification programs and training empower local communities to combat deforestation, enhance carbon sequestration, and build resilient landscapes that balance biodiversity conservation with economic opportunities for Maya indigenous groups.
As Mexico’s leading environmental endowment, FMCN mobilizes private funds for conservation in the Maya Bioregion, supporting projects like the Mesoamerican Reef System protection and Calakmul Biosphere restoration in the Yucatán Peninsula, where they fund habitat recovery for jaguars, manatees, and diverse coral species.
Through alliances with local NGOs and indigenous communities, they emphasize sustainable financing, watershed management, and anti-encroachment efforts to preserve over 1 million hectares of critical ecosystems, ensuring long-term biodiversity and cultural heritage amid tourism and agricultural expansion.
Pronatura México, the country’s largest conservation NGO, protects the Selva Maya and Yucatán ecosystems through large-scale reforestation, protected area management, and species recovery programs for endangered birds, reptiles, and orchids in reserves like Sian Ka’an and Calakmul.
Collaborating with Maya communities, they implement sustainable agriculture and ecotourism initiatives to restore degraded forests, reduce illegal logging, and enhance connectivity for migratory wildlife, contributing to national goals for biodiversity preservation and climate resilience in southeastern Mexico.
Amigos de Sian Ka’an manages the UNESCO-listed Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico’s Quintana Roo, conserving 1.3 million acres of mangroves, reefs, and wetlands that harbor manatees, jaguars, and over 300 bird species through monitoring, education, and community-led restoration.
Founded in 1986, they combat threats like coastal development and pollution via scientific research, sustainable tourism, and policy advocacy, ensuring the interconnected Maya aquatic and terrestrial zones remain vital carbon sinks and nurseries for the Mesoamerican Reef.
Ya’axché Conservation Trust empowers Toledo District’s Maya and Garifuna communities in southern Belize to protect 500,000 acres of rainforest and coastal ecosystems, focusing on sustainable livelihoods, anti-logging patrols, and restoration of native hardwoods and wildlife like scarlet macaws and tapirs.
Through education, carbon credit programs, and indigenous governance, they bridge terrestrial and marine zones, reducing deforestation by 90% in managed areas and fostering biodiversity that supports ecotourism and food security.
Programme for Belize conserves the 260,000-acre Rio Bravo Reserve in northern Belize’s Maya Forest, restoring degraded lands and protecting jaguar habitats through community forestry, research, and sustainable agriculture that benefits Q’eqchi’ Maya villagers.
Their work integrates carbon sequestration, wildlife monitoring, and education to counter illegal incursions, creating a model for private-public partnerships that enhance flora diversity and connect to the broader Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.
ReefCI, a leading marine NGO in Belize, restores the southern Belize Barrier Reef through coral propagation, fish population surveys, and volunteer-led cleanups, targeting threats to hawksbill turtles, nurse sharks, and elkhorn corals from tourism and hurricanes; operating since 2006, they train local fishers in sustainable practices and monitor water quality, contributing to the health of the Maya Reef’s lagoon systems and supporting artisanal fisheries vital to coastal communities.
ACOFOP unites 23 indigenous and mestizo communities in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve to sustainably manage 1.6 million hectares of rainforest, preventing deforestation through community concessions, selective logging, and reforestation that revive ceiba trees and habitats for quetzals and ocelots.
Their model has reduced illegal activities by empowering locals with technical training and market access, demonstrating how collective stewardship preserves the Selva Maya’s biodiversity and cultural landscapes.
ARCAS rescues and rehabilitates wildlife in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere, focusing on scarlet macaw reintroduction, sea turtle protection, and anti-trafficking operations that have released over 3,000 animals back into forests and reefs.
Partnering with communities, they conduct education and habitat restoration to combat poaching, restoring populations of parrots, crocodiles, and orchids while addressing the illegal pet trade’s impact on the bioregion’s aquatic and terrestrial fauna.
BICA, a grassroots network across Honduras’ Bay Islands, safeguards the eastern Mesoamerican Reef through water quality labs, mangrove restoration, and community monitoring of whale sharks and rays, while addressing plastic pollution and overdevelopment.
Since 1990, they empower islanders with enforcement training and eco-education, protecting 300 km² of coral and seagrass that buffer coastal communities from storms and sustain fisheries.
Roatan Marine Park manages 80 km² of the Bay Islands’ barrier reef, enforcing no-take zones, restoring staghorn corals, and monitoring lionfish invasions to protect diverse fish assemblages and turtles.
Collaborating with dive operators and locals, they promote sustainable tourism and research that has increased fish biomass by 30%, ensuring the reef’s role as a biodiversity hotspot and economic engine for Honduran coastal resilience.
MAR Fund channels grants to 100+ projects across the 1,000-km Mesoamerican Reef, funding coral restoration, fisheries management, and watershed protection in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras to revive habitats for parrotfish and conch.
As a collaborative endowment, they leverage $50 million for community-driven initiatives that reduce sedimentation and bleaching, fostering a healthy “ridge-to-reef” system essential for marine biodiversity and regional food security.
Global Conservation secures permanent protection for UNESCO sites like Guatemala’s Mirador Basin and Mexico’s Calakmul in the Maya Forest, acquiring lands to restore ancient Maya landscapes teeming with howler monkeys, pumas, and epiphytes.
Their “buy-a-park” model has conserved 500,000 acres, integrating archaeology with rewilding to combat narco-encroachment and deforestation, preserving cultural and ecological heritage for future generations.
Asociación Balam safeguards Belize’s Chiquibul Forest and adjacent Guatemalan borderlands through joint patrols, reforestation, and indigenous Maya training to protect xate palms, tapirs, and scarlet macaws from illegal logging and mining.
Partnering with governments, they monitor 100,000 hectares of transboundary habitat, promoting sustainable resource use that strengthens community rights and biodiversity in the western Maya Bioregion.
Coral Reef Alliance partners with Bay Islands communities in Honduras to restore Roatán’s reefs via coral nurseries, wastewater improvements, and algae control, targeting resilient strains of brain and elkhorn corals amid bleaching events.
Their science-based approach has outplanted 10,000 corals, enhancing habitats for lobsters and groupers while building local capacity for long-term monitoring and sustainable diving tourism.
CEMDA uses legal tools to enforce environmental protections in Mexico’s Yucatán, litigating against illegal coastal urbanization and pollution that threaten mangroves, reefs, and aquifers supporting flamingos and manatees.
With aerial surveillance and defender support, they’ve secured land-use reforms and restored wetlands, empowering local groups to safeguard the Maya Bioregion’s interconnected water systems and biodiversity hotspots.
Grupo Ecologista del Mayab (GEMA)
GEMA advocates for environmental justice in Quintana Roo’s Riviera Maya, defending turtle nesting beaches, cenotes, and reefs against mega-developments through legal actions and community mobilization that protect olive ridley turtles and endemic fish.
Over 30 years, they’ve established sanctuaries like Xcacel-Xcacelito and halted destructive projects, amplifying indigenous voices to restore coastal ecosystems vital to the Maya aquatic zone.
Centinelas del Arrecife
Centinelas del Arrecife, a women-led grassroots group in Puerto Morelos, monitors Mexico’s northern Mesoamerican Reef using citizen science to track coral health, water quality, and invasive species, protecting parrotfish and lobsters from tourism runoff; since 2018, their data informs CONANP policies and community actions, fostering restoration and awareness that sustains the vibrant biodiversity of Yucatán’s coastal Maya ecosystems.