Guardabosques - Guardians of the Forest

In Guatemala, half the population lives in impoverished rural areas. Their livelihoods depend on growing maize or potatoes, as well as cash crops like sugar, bananas, and coffee—all of which depend on rain. Climate models are predicting higher temperatures and decreased rainfall in Guatemala’s future, making the survival of these communities even more precarious. Using tree-rings, scientists are working to fill in gaps in Guatemala’s climate records in the hopes of mitigating future agricultural and community impacts.