The Rio Bravo Climate Action Project is one of the first Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) projects in the world.

It was implemented by Programme for Belize and The Nature Conservancy and is fully supported by the Government of Belize.

Photo: Virginia Tech

The Rio Bravo Climate Action Project is part of the larger privately owned Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA), a 260,000 acre (105,218 hectare) reserve that was formed in 1998 and connects to the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala.

The project itself involves 15,558 acres (6,296 hectares) of tropical forests that were added to the reserve in 1995.

Map: Programme for Belize

The tropical forest in the project area was put up for sale by a local logging company in 1995.

Studies indicated that without further protection, up to 90 percent of the forest cover would have been converted to industrial agriculture like these pasture lands bordering the La Milpa entrance on the reserve.

Photo: TerraCarbon

Programme for Belize with the help of its partner The Nature Conservancy acquired the property and placed it in the protection and management of the RBCMA.

The acquisition and ongoing protection (from illegal logging activities) of the property is expected to be funded from the sale of carbon offsets.

Photo: Programme for Belize

The Nature Conservancy and its partner Programme for Belize are seeking offset partners to acquire carbon offsets from the project.

Carbon offsets can be used to reduce an organization's climate impact, but also to place a value on nature's ecosystem services like climate regulation.

Photo: Herbert Haylock, Programme for Belize

The REDD project avoids the release of more than 1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent stored in the forest that would have been released if it had been converted to agricultural use.

The project area contains a variety of tropical broadleaf and palm tree species.

Photo: TerraCarbon

The RBCMA is home to 200 species of trees, 350 species
of birds, 70 species of mammals and 39 endangered species, including jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay, spider and howler monkeys.

Big cat populations at the RBCMA are thriving and are amongst the healthiest and most abundant in all of Central America.

Photo: Virginia Tech

La Milpa is 3rd largest Mayan site in Belize. It was inhabited from about 400 BC to 850 AD. Archaelogists estimate up to 46,000 people lived there.

La Milpa includes more than 20 courtyards, 19 stelae, 2 ball courts, 4 temple pyramids (the largest almost 79 feet high) and over 85 structures.

It is currently being surveyed by the University of Texas; new structures are still being found.

Photo: TerraCarbon

The RBCMA provides full time employment for about 20-25 employees, including rangers, tour guides, cooks, and maintenance workers.

The RBCMA also provides seasonal employment to others to assist with sustainable timber harvests and archaeological surveys.

The gift shops at the RMCMA sell crafts and souvenirs that are produced and purchased from surrounding communities.

Photo: TerraCarbon

Featured widely in tour books and travel sites, the RBCMA attracts hundreds of each tourists each year.

The reserve has two ecolodges, one at Hill Bank and one at La Milpa.

Activities include hiking, bird watching, crocodile spotting, and tube floating.

Photo: TerraCarbon

Contact Scott Settelmyer at scott.settelmyer@terracarbon.com or at 309-693-9303.

Visit http://www.terracarbon.com/rio-bravo.html

Photo: Anna Garcia/The Nature Conservancy