In the lush highlands of Guatemala lies a mountain forest so pristine that you can watch clouds swirl directly out from the emerald canopy. This haven for endemic amphibians, highland birds, and diverse mammals is called Cerro Amay. It was 2005 when, poring over satellite imagery, Philip Tanimoto ‘discovered’ the largest intact tropical cloud forest without any legal protection in northern Central America. Although this mountain had never been surveyed for birds, his GIS habitat model predicted the endangered Horned Guan could be found here. Despite repeated surveys, this rare species was not verified at Cerro Amay until September 2024, when conservation ranger Pedro Us captured a grainy cell phone image after observing at least three individuals near each other. 

In the lush highlands of Guatemala lies a mountain forest so pristine that you can watch clouds swirl directly out from the emerald canopy. This haven for endemic amphibians, highland birds, and diverse mammals is called Cerro Amay. It was 2005 when, poring over satellite imagery, Philip Tanimoto ‘discovered’ the largest intact tropical cloud forest without any legal protection in northern Central America. Although this mountain had never been surveyed for birds, his GIS habitat model predicted the endangered Horned Guan could be found here. Despite repeated surveys, this rare species was not verified at Cerro Amay until September 2024, when conservation ranger Pedro Us captured a grainy cell phone image after observing at least three individuals near each other. The photo was taken precisely in the area modeled as optimal habitat, which, owing to the difficulty of travel through a treacherous karst forest, wasn’t accessed until then.

Under Conservation Imaging, the nonprofit that Dr. Tanimoto established in 1997, he established the Cloud Forest Conservation Initiative in 2009, specifically to protect Cerro Amay.  After several years of grant writing and implementing agroforestry projects among the indigenous villages surrounding Cerro Amay, he attracted green investors willing to establish a grass roots conservation program.

Today, nearly half of Cerro Amay’s virgin forest is under conservation agreements and nearly all of the forest present in 2008, when Dr. Tanimoto first visited, is protected by conservation interests led by FUNDAECO, Guatemala’s premier conservation organization. 

In 2024, Conservation Imaging’s name was changed to Forest Primeval, reflecting the ethereal character of Cerro Amay. Today, we continue projects with smallholder farmers and communities while allowing FUNDAECO to carry on the bulk of the work, which allows us to gear up for our ambitious new initiative, The Jewels of Quiché.

Click to support sustainable agroforestry projects at Cerro Amay.