Action Archaeology There is no such thing as a patriotic art or a patriotic science. Both art and science belong, like every higher good, to all the world and can be fostered only by the free flow of mutual influence among all contemporaries, with constant regard for all we have and know of the past.--Goethe, 1749 - 1832

Anthropological & Archaeological Research of the ancient Maya, ethnohistorical research, and anthropological investigations of traditional communities underscore the complexity of interrelationships between cultural systems and their environment.

Conservation of natural and cultural resources is one of the most important global long-term goals of the coming century. Yet, efforts to accomplish this have often led to the compromise of important short-term needs at regional and local levels.

Ecology: The ecological structure of the Maya forest today bears witness to the long and intricate process of cultural selection that extends back more than four millennia to the initial agricultural pioneers of the Maya forest region.

Ecotourism: Mesoamerica has become a flourishing travel destination, and the Maya world has evolved as a vital niche for adventure and ecotourists.

Institutional Framework: The ancient Maya civic center of El Pilar straddles the contemporary political division between El Peten, Guatemala, and Cayo, Belize.

Reserve Management: Informed management designs are based on inventories of the ecological and cultural resources within the protected area.

Traditional Agriculture is focused on the basic production and consumption unit: the household. These traditions rely on polycultural strategies mimicking the native environment.