Day Nineteen

Green Again?

Stephanie takes notes on a giant tree felled to make way for farmland.

Hiking in the Cuchumatanes Mountains the other day, we passed smoking hillside after smoking hillside-the skeletal, charred remains of a once-vibrant forest. When we finally arrived at Yolwitzkok, I sat down to watch the sun set over the horizon, but it got lost in a smoky haze. The world seemed worn out.

The leveled forest-one million acres per year are cut down in Central America alone-is like the first fallen domino in a long line of environmental problems. It leads to soil depletion, loss of vegetation, habitat loss, global warming, endangered wildlife, and disappearing resources.

	The team hikes through cleared land in the Cuchamatanes Mountains in Guatemala.

This cycle isn't new. A thousand years ago the story was essentially the same: The slash-and-burn farming couldn't sustain the increasing population. As a result, the forests were destroyed, soil fertility declined, animal habitats were lost, and the people ran out of food and resources.

This morning, as I sat watching the sunrise over the Cuchumatanes, I noticed sprigs of emerald green grass growing up through the stumps and ashes. Then I remembered that green is the Maya's most sacred color. And I knew that these people, who have lived through a continuous cycle of environmental ills for 3,000 years, would find a way for green to reign once again.

Going Questal,

- Stephanie Gregory

P.S. To find out how you can help put a stop to global warming, read Friday's Make A Difference: http://quest.classroom.com/maya2001/interactivity.asp?qargs=152,20,English

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