ZOOTROPIC is a non-governmental organization based in Guatemala. Our mission is to promote the conservation and protection of the country’s unique ecosystems. By protecting the ecosystems, we are protecting the biodiversity associated with them as well as helping to maintain the ecological processes that take place therein.
To carry out this mission, Zootropic has developed two main strategies:
One of our primary goals is the education of the human populations that inhabit and interact with the ecosystems we seek to protect. Through our environmental awareness programs we emphasize the importance of the many plant and animal species, with a special focus on reptiles and amphibians. The objective is to teach the value of conservation and encourage individuals to engage in sustainable activities compatible with the direct conservation program.
Our education strategy has been developed over the past seven years in cooperation with a number of private institutions that support the preservation of natural ecosystems. In order to have a high impact on youngsters and teenagers, we created a naturalist character named Chepe Mazacuata. Chepe has visited more than 85,000 boys and girls in the 5-16 year old age bracket annually.
Our primary research and conservation strategies since 2002 have focused on Project Heloderma.
