Hi there!
Let me tell you a story, introduce you to an amazing passionate friend of mine you need to know (and hopefully one day you visit him!), and the amazing #Conservation project and people you can support!

This is JP Pinto (he's not on twitter, but you can find him here: https://www.instagram.com/ranchitosdelquetzal/).
We met back in 2013 during a Limnological Monitoring Expedition in Lake Atitlán ( #Guatemala). He's crazy passionate about orchids and just about protecting every living thing.

And this is part of the beautiful Private Natural Reserve "Ranchitos Del Quetzal" in the cloud #forests of Guatemala, a Reserve that JP has been managing for the last 3 years.
Isn't it beautiful?

We all need and benefit from these ecosystems, and JP and his fellow #conservationists from Purulhá (Baja Verapaz, Guatemala) do a lot for them:

They reproduce and reintroduce native plant species, particularly the ones that the #Quetzal bird feeds on.

( #FunFact: the Quetzal is our national bird )

(Picture taken from the Reserve's page, photographer: Andres Novales)

They have a camera trap project to study local mammals and a subdermal tags project to learn more about the still-mysterious #Botriechis aurifer

Did you know #Orchids are also subject to illegal wildlife trafficking?
JP has been developing a growth medium with household items to reproduce orchids with 2 main goals in mind:

1. Reintroduce native orchids to the forest
&
2. Give the locals a way to reproduce them themselves, so they can stop extracting them illegally from the forest while maintaining the income they get from the beloved orchid market

#WildlifeTrade
https://www.braeunerd.com/orchid-conservation/

The Reserve hosts #educational activities for local kids and opportunities for students and #scientists coming from all over the world.

The Reserve also has a hotel (yes, you can sleep within the clouds!) and a restaurant that supports local gastronomy and local farmers.

AND TREE CLIMBING OPPORTUNITIES!!!

12 local families work here and depend directly on this as their main source of income.

The reserve also provides #water for at least 200 families, and in return, they also help protect this forest!

The Reserve maintains itself 100% on #tourism. But since tourism must come to a halt for who knows how long, the people from this Reserve need our help!

So we're running a @gofundme campaign to help them during these uncertain times.

If you happen to be in an economic position from which you could support this cause, please consider donating.
But we don't underestimate the power of social media! Just by helping us #SpreadTheWord by sharing this, you are helping us A LOT!

Campaign: http://gf.me/u/xvsa67 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS!
We are extremely grateful for all your time and help

Take care!