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Calling all naturalists, eco-tourists and adventurers! If you are looking for an unparalleled experience of the Belizean jungle alongside a local Mayan ranger, then consider joining Ya'axch� Conservation Trust's Ranger for a Day patrol, you will join an official Ya'axch� patrol of the 15,000-acre Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP). This unique experience will give you the opportunity to play an important role in the protection of this vital forest corridor.

As an honorary ranger, you will contribute to the daily wildlife logs; record key species of mammals and birds along the riverside trail and learn how our rangers detect signs of hunting. You will hone your own detective skills as you learn to identify jaguar, puma and tapir tracks, identify the unique call of the Montezumas oropendola and spot hummingbirds, toucans and curasow.

Golden Stream during dry season. | Photo: Erik Hammar.
Your boots will get muddy and you should prepare to get sweaty but after a morning of adventure, you are invited to enjoy a refreshing dip in the Golden Stream River, the lifeblood of the Golden Stream Corridor Preserve.

To be a ranger for the day, you will need to be of medium level fitness as you will be walking for up to two hours in hot and sometimes wet conditions. You should wear light long pants/trousers (that will dry quickly), sturdy shoes for walking (hiking boots are not required), a hat, insect repellent, water, snacks and a packed lunch.

Contribution to conservation

We do not ask for a fee but rather a contribution to the salaries of the ranger team. For the riverside walking patrol we suggest US$30pp and when the river is high enough for the river patrol down the Golden Stream we suggest US$45pp. Contributions or donations in excess of this are greatly appreciated, 100% goes straight to the ranger salaries.

For more information contact our Protected Areas Manager Lee Mcloughlin via email or call (+501) 722-0108. If you are already in Punta Gorda, please feel free to drop into our office located at 22 Alejandro Vernon street.

Getting there

A James Bus leaves from the corner of King Street and Front Street just before 8am. You can also flag it down as it drives through town on its way to the highway. Tell the bus attendant to drop you off at Ya'axch�. A one-way trip to the Field Center will cost BZ$5 (US$2.50). The return bus to Punta Gorda passes by the Field Center between 1:00 and 1:30pm. Further bus times, if you would like to stay a while longer after your ranger experience or if you are coming from another town, can be found at hickatee.com.

The field center is located on the Southern Highway, approximately 30 miles north of Punta Gorda and 34 miles south of Independence. It is located between the Maya villages of Medina Bank and Golden Stream.