Protecting the Heritage

Renace, the hydroelectric complex, has several projects located along the Cahabón River, in San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz. One of them is “The Conservation of the Quetzal”, Guatemala’s national bird. The goal is to preserve the quetzal populations through species research, habitat protection, and restoration.

The Guatemalan Quetzal, a bird from the trogon family, is unfortunately endangered due to the destruction of its habitat.

“Most Guatemalans believe our country is a great jungle; my perception is that green areas are drastically decreasing.” – Pablo Bolaños, biologist

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How Does the Project Work?

The reserve seeks to create the minimum necessary conditions for the Quetzal to survive. It is a long-term strategy (five years), at a national level, in partnership with CONAP (National Council of Protected Areas) and ACCN (Scientific Association for Nature Conservation). It will be executed in three phases:

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• First phase: acoustic methods

The objective is to develop a baseline of the national bird’s populations through research using acoustic methods.

“With this method we can study the Quetzal without touching it or being present in the field; using automatic devices allows us to record them without frightening them.” – Pablo Bolaños, biologist

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• Second phase: Quetzal Conservation Program

In this stage of the project, a program for the “Conservation of the Quetzal” will be implemented at different spatial scales, including habitat restoration, risk analysis, ex-situ reproduction of quetzals, and genetic analysis.

• Third phase: environmental education

For the initiative to succeed, awareness and care for the national bird are essential. Renace protects the 46-hectare reserve area. Rangers work to prevent damage to local flora and fauna, applying environmental education principles.