Freethought Nation

"Mirador Archaeological and Wildlife Area is located in the heart of the Maya Biosphere in northern Guatemala. Mirador is home to the earliest and largest Preclassic Maya archeological sites in Mesoamerica, including the largest pyramid in the world- La Danta. Experts describe the Mirador as the Cradle of Maya Civilization.

Global Heritage Fund (GHF) is working with the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES), the Guatemalan government, community leaders, and the U.S. Department of the Interior (which includes the U.S. National Park Service), to create an economically sustainable archaeological and wildlife protected area in the heart of the Maya Biosphere.

GHF’s primary conservation goals for Mirador are:
1. Aid the Guatemalan government in securing UNESCO World Heritage designation
2. Establish permanent protection for Mirador Basin
3. Become a sustainable protected area within 10 years

The Mirador Basin Project is a major multidisciplinary scientific research and conservation project of an area in the extreme northern department of Petén in Guatemala known as the Mirador Basin. The Mirador Basin forms a portion of a large conservation project known as the Cuatro Balam (Four Jaguars) recently designed by Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom.

The project started as the Regional Archaeological Research Project of Northern Peten, Guatemala (RAINPEG/PRIANPEG), upon request of the Guatemalan government in 1988 and currently consists of 52 universities and research institutions worldwide.

Partners and collaborators include the Ministry of Culture and Sports (MICUDE), the Institute of Anthropology and History (IDAEH), the Guatemalan Tourist Institute (INGUAT), and the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP). The Project consists of a large team of scholars, technicians, specialists, managers and students to investigate the Mirador Basin and conserve the Mirador Basin from a multi-disciplinary effort....."

http://www.globalheritagefund.org/where ... s2008.html