Bladen was established in 1990 Photograph by Steven Brewer

Bladen Size of Protected Area The ‘crown jewel’ of ’s protected area system

99,796 Acres Considered to be one of the most -rich, and geographically

unique areas within the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, Bladen forms Globally Endangered Species a significant portion of the Massif. 2 Plant, 2 , 3 Bladen’s large expanse of primarily forested uplands and valleys are Species found in Protected Area essential for the survival of regionally iconic species such as the , 337 Bird, 20 Fish, 93 Mammal, , white-lipped and . Furthermore, 92 Herpetile Bladen provides a refuge for more than 57% of all mammal species known in Belize and plays a vital role in restocking harvested animal found in Protected Area populations in surrounding extractive and downstream 20 Ecosystems freshwater habitat.

Largely protected from hurricanes, Bladen’s has a little-disturbed DON’Ts in Protected Area structure supporting 20 intact types and high species Fishing, Hunting, diversity across a great range of elevations. With its diversity of altitude, , , aspect and , Bladen Nature Reserve offers perhaps

the most diverse range of conditions for plant life of any protected area DOs in Protected Area in Belize. Assessment has found tree species diversity to be highest in Environmental Education Central America and experts estimate upwards of 4000 plant species Research and monitoring may be present.

Threats to Protected Area Wildfire, Overhunting, Agricultural expansion, Logging, Xaté extraction

Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) Photo: Erik Hammar Photo: Maximiliano Caal Photo: Maximiliano Caal Ya'axché Conservation Trust, P.O. Box 177, #20A George Price Street, Punta Gorda, , Belize Tel: (+501) 722 0108 | Web: yaaxche.org