How land acquisition in Honduras furthers local conservation efforts
A selection of work from my time with AESMO, a pioneering conservation organization in western Honduras, that has been supported by the land acquisition fund of IUCN NL.
Farmer Gilberto Urias showed me how proper water management of the micro basin of the Rio Hondo has resulted in a sustainable, clean water source for the surrounding towns and the (coffee) farms in the area.
I spent the night around Cerro Negro where AESMO biologists educated the local community members about the (vampire!) bats and insects living in that region.
In the misty hills of Guisayote, I hiked with farmers Carlos Santamaria & Faustino Venture to their fields that have been part of a reforestation project to increase biodiversity.
And one morning I met up with a group of lovely women and men doing fire patrols around El Tuyal, a beautiful area that also has been protected for over two decades.
I interviewed people at all different locations, asking the question “what does this natural area mean to you?”. And whether they were farmers, housewives, council members or even the mayor, they all had similar answers: “It gives us life”.