NCI is in a race against time to protect 5,436 acres of highly threatened foothill rainforest in the Sierra Caral – an unparalleled center of unique amphibians and reptiles in Central America. Drug barons are trying to buy and clear this last block of forest, while illegal logging and cattle ranching threaten to erase several species, including the cobalt Blue Viper found only here.

Located on the Guatemala-Honduras border, Sierra Caral is consistently identified as the highest conservation priority in the region. This area’s terrain and climate make it a hotspot of endemism for amphibians, reptiles and insects.

Thirty-five percent of the amphibians of Sierra Caral are listed as threatened by IUCN, with ten listed as either critically-endangered or endangered species. Seven unique species of amphibians have recently been discovered in the region, and the arboreal Blue Pit Viper (named for its amazing blue tonality), is a remarkable reptile.

Sierra Caral is threatened by deforestation, illegal cross-border logging activities and the expanding cattle ranching that is rapidly fragmenting a once continuous forest across the Merendón Mountain Ridge. Although we have successfully designed a protected area and mobilized community support for its legal declaration by the National Congress, the decree for a new protected area could take many years to be passed. By then, much of the species diversity that makes Sierra Caral exceptional could be lost. In this context, land acquisition is an immediate need. Nature and Culture International has developed a land acquisition strategy aimed at buying and protecting 5,436 acres of key properties in strategic locations across Sierra Caral.

We are currently focused on purchasing several private properties in three strategic areas that extremely important biologically, yet are under severe threat. We must raise just over $1 million to protect the entirety of the Sierra Caral site. So far, $350,000 has been donated. Nature and Culture urgently needs to raise an additional $650,000 to save the exceptional habitat of Sierra Caral before it is too late. Please help us take a stand for this region’s incredible biodiversity by giving generously while this magnificent forest is still there to protect.