Emerald Lightning

8/8/2019 Emerald Lightning

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EMERALD LIGHTNING

Exploring the Cloud Forest Realm of the Resplendent Quetzal-Serpent

Thor Janson

Brilliant they were then

And wrapped in the feathers of quetzal

And of Doves.

Thence came the name

Of Kulkulkn, the Quetzal-serpent.

Great sages they were,

And great thinkers in their essence.

For indeed there is Heaven,

And there is also the Heart of Heaven

That is the name

Of the deity, it is said.

- From the Popol Vuh, sacred book of the Quiche-Maya of Guatemala. One of only four Mayan books known to

have survived the Spanish Conquest of America.

FIFTY THOUSAND YEARS AGO


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We were in the middle of one of the Earth's cool periods. Ice and snow covered much

of the land. Massive glaciers grew to blanket vast expanses of South and North America.

The highlands of Central America were a winter wonderland where mastodon and

megatherium frolicked. So much water was locked up in the ice that the oceans were

much lower and coastlines were not where they are today. This was especially true on

the Caribbean side of the Meso-American isthmus where coastal plains extended tens or

even hundreds of miles beyond the present shoreline. Changing climatic conditions

caused many animal species from the Neotropical and Nearctic Realms to converge on

the isthmus seeking more favorable weather. Vegetation had migrated too. What had

been highland temperate forests had moved down in elevation to become coastal pine-

oak-liquidambar groves. Thermophilic species had made their way south to equatorial

regions. Worldwide a land area the size of modern Africa had emerged from the waves.

We think of Ice Age Europe as a tough landscape where cave men struggled to survive

but the lower latitudes of our planet were quite pleasant and humans, which had

appeared on Earth millions of years previously, were busy going about their business of

being fruitful and multiplying, exploring new territory, adventuring, learning to cultivate

gardens, and gathering around camp fires at night to gaze at the stars and be entertained

by story tellers. Humans were few, nature was abundant, and skilled hunters and

gatherers were able to provide plenty of nutritious food for their families.

Starting at least thirty thousand years ago, explorers from eastern Asia , swept along by

the Kuroshiro Current, managed to sail to their rafts to the West Coast of North, Central

and South America. The land was rich and villages were established. Some of these

brave, adventurous seafarers continued on to make their way across the South Pacific,


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colonizing the high volcanic islands as they went, and eventually returning to Southeast

Asia in a circumnavigation of the entire Pacific Ocean which had taken hundreds if not

thousands of years. Polynesians, whose territory comprises more than one-quarter of the

planet, invented large double-hulled catamarans which had the ability to sail into the

wind allowing them to return and re-colonize South America. Little evidence remains to

chronicle these early human endeavors simply because most settlements were built

along coastlines which now lay beneath the waves. The great West Coast mountain

ranges and deserts slowed both North and South American coastal colonist's eastward

migrations. Slowly but surely, over tens of thousands of years, our ancestors populated

the continents.

12 THOUSAND YEARS AGO

Times were changing. At the end of the last great ice age much of what is now Meso-

America lay underneath the ocean. As the glaciers melted a tremendous surge of water

flowed out from the Mississippi River Valley into the Caribbean causing the sea level to

rise. Lowlands became submarine plains. High above ancient forests remained. Bathed

in clouds that perpetually drifted over the conical peaks forming the backbone of the

narrow isthmus these tropical forests, survivors of repeated flooding and cataclysm and

probably millions of years old, evolved slowly an incredible diversity of life. Now and

again a flash of brilliant color glimmered upon the sea of emerald green draping the

prehistoric landscape: a fiery crimson orchid, a golden tree viper, a fluorescent blue tree

frog. The forest was very quiet except for a low, melodious, avian song sounding at once

melancholy and alluring: coo cool, coo cool, coo cool. Suddenly, darting down from the

canopy like steaks of green lightning, several large birds with feathers made out of


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rubies and emeralds and trailing long, undulating tails, came to alight on a large tree

bearing hundreds of orange, plum-shaped fruits. Here the birds sat peacefully eating and

surveying their domain. They were resplendent quetzal, undisputed lords of the cloud

forest. Their unexcelled beauty and grace spoke clearly of their position. They lived in

peace and harmony with the myriad denizens of the clouds.

Way down below on the forest floor came the sound of a muffled coughing growl, a

rustling in the undergrowth, and scores of little animals fleeing. Then a great spotted cat

emerged from the jungle. Looking this way and that he searched for his next prey.

Suddenly he ran through the bushes and pounced. Amid pitiful shrieks and crunching

bones he devoured his victim. This was Balam, the Jaguar, Lord of the Underworld and

death.

Most scholars maintain that these people were of Asian origin. Having crossed over

the Bering Land Bridge they continued on foot to traverse the extent of North America.

Other, more unorthodox theories claim that they came by sea from China, or were

refugees from the sinking of Lemuria and Atlantis. The record of these early migrations

remains enshrouded in mystery. When the first people saw the cloud forest they must

have been filled with awe and perhaps even fear at the alien splendor and mind-boggling

diversity of forms. They set about giving plants and animals names, incorporating them

into their myths and beliefs. Some creatures became mythical symbols if they seemed to

personify an important aspect of the peoples cosmology. The first man to see the

quetzal must have been amazed. From a distance it looked like a bright green snake

flying through the air. But on closer examination he found out that the snake was


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actually feathered and had wings and a song like a bird. And so, he became named and

known. Kukul, the serpent bird.

Of emeralds and rubies you were formed

The Jewel of the Cloud Kingdom

A shimmering bolt of Green Lightning

The Resplendent Quetzal-serpent.

Ancient sages named you Kukuln

Their supreme symbol of Light and Freedom

The Heart of Heaven, the Herald of Tatixel

Huahop, Owner of the world, giver of Wisdom.

- Tata Santiago

Elder Shaman on the south shore of Atitln

The Spanish conquest brought with it hoards of religious fanatics and book burners

who did their very best to destroy all remnants of the ancient American cultures,

declaring them to be of the devil. Fortunately they were not completely successful.

Modern archaeological research has uncovered a great deal and it is now known that thecivilizations of Mexico and Central America were in many ways superior to those of

their conquerors. The Maya had system of astronomical calculation highly advanced

over any in Medieval Europe. They had a more advanced system of arithmetic and a

chronology and calendar more accurate even then the system we use today. Edmond


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Bordeaux Szekely, a philologist and historian, conducted extensive research into the

origin and meaning of these pre-Columbian cultures and came to some conclusions.

First, that they were all the final result of Neolithic migrations, which ventured out from

the regions of Samaria and Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Second, that they had a

world view essentially the same as the ancient Persians. The Predecessors of the Aztec,

Toltec, and Maya believed that everything in the universe, including life and human

consciousness, is the outcome of the fight between the two cosmic principals of life and

death. According to Szekely:

[Note: the Maya called Quetzalcoatl in their language Kukulkn and Gukumatz, both

simply meaning "quetzal serpent." The lord ofXibalb, the underworld, was known to

the Maya by their name for jaguar: "Balam."]

The Toltec symbolized life by Quetzalcoatl, represented by the plumed or feathered

serpent. He was considered to be the source of all good, of all things belonging to life.

The opposite principal was Tezcatlipoca, whose symbol was the jaguar or tiger, and he

represented death, hatred, destruction, and war. These two symbols were like the two

focal points of an ellipse and the whole Toltec pictographic system revolved around

them.

According the ancient Toltecs, a man belongs to both kingdoms. His thoughts, words,

and deeds belong sometimes to one and sometimes to the other. When they are in

harmony with life, they belong to Quetzalcoatl. But when they are correlated with

negations and things belonging to death, they belong to Tezcatlipoca. The Toltecs held


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that nearly everything in nature is similarly divided: all good things being in

Quetzalcoatls realm, and all evil things in Tezcatlipocas.

Szekely found that in no other part of the world are found so many pyramids as in

Mexico and Central America. And in every pyramid, he discovered, whether Maya,

Aztec, or Toltec, the symbols of the feathered serpent and the jaguar will invariably be

found. The pyramids were not, as is maintained by most archaeologists, simply temples,

tombs, or monuments. These structures were used as stages for the playing out of cosmic

rituals designed to convey deep meaning and truth. The pyramids were symbols of the

triumph of levity over gravity, of the ascension of man from the kingdom of

Tezcatlipoca, the dark underworld of death, step by step, up to the light and wisdom of

Quetzalcoatl, the Evening Star, high above the Earth, where spirit is finally freed from

matter. The rituals, which were conducted on the steps of the pyramid, combined an

ancient knowledge of philosophy, astronomy, psychology, and social organization. They

were performed by priests in beautiful costumes, who took the part of the different

forces found in nature. The populace stood or sat around the base of the pyramid during

the performance. The steps were composed of a grid of squares: eleven squares by nine,

and multiples there of. Two teams of ten would assemble. One, composed of the deathly

priests of Tezcatlipoca, occupied the higher steps, attempting to force man down. While


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the priests of Quetzalcoatl, representing the forces of life, took the lower steps, hoping to

raise man higher. Lowest on the steps, the first player in the winged-serpent team was

malinalli, which is the Aztec word for grass. Because grass grows year after year and is

the interface between the life-giving elements of air, water, soil, and sunshine, Malinalli

was chosen to symbolize the ever-renewing force of life. Opposite Malinalli was

Miquitli, the skull, representing death. The next player up the steps was Quetzalcoatl

himself. Opposite him stood Cipactli, the crocodile, symbolizing idleness, the antithesis

of creativity. In this way all twenty priests were paired off against each other. And

between the two sides, standing at the head of Quetzalcoatls team was Tla, the symbol

of man, who could choose to fight his way up the steps to finally reach the top and

access to the Evening Star, or be overtaken by the forces of hatred, idleness, greed,

violence, and ignorance, and fall lower and lower on the steps ending in death. This

cosmic ritual served to instruct the population about the ironclad law of cause and effect,

and represented in a way even children could understand that man lives in a universe

governed by absolute law. It taught that by doing good the individual could rise up

toward the stars, but doing bad would invariably propel one down into the darkness of

the underworld. The people were encouraged to apply these principals to their daily lives

and thereby maintain an orderly and peaceful society. Later the ritual was transferred to


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the flat surface of a ball court, gradually degenerating into a mere display of athletic

prowess and bloody sacrifice. By 800 A.D. the Mayan Civilization had declined into a

period of extreme decadence typified by the abuse of drugs and the prevalence of human

torture and sacrifice. The great pyramids of the cities of Tikal, Copan, Palenque, and

Calak Mool were now used for ritualized self-mutilation and as alters for ripping the still

beating hearts out of innumerable captives.

Increasing political strife between the distinct city-states worsened into warring while

citizens suffered from food shortages brought on by a failing agricultural system, the

result of centuries of essentially mono-crop cultivation of corn which eroded and

depleted the soil. It was not long before the great Mayan Empire collapsed. In a few

years the temples were overgrown by the jungle. And so, it would seem, Tezcatlipoca

had won. But high up in a remote forgotten cloud forest Kukul waited patiently for the

day when once again he would be seen by man and heralded as the symbol of life

triumphing over death.

Quetzalcoatl is the son of our Mother-Father God Ometetl Tatixl, Supreme

Sovereign over all Creation. Quetzalcoatl is the bright Morning Star. His Spirit Twin isthe Winged Serpent: the Resplendent Quetzal. His consort is Princess Coatlpe, Lady

of the Diamond Encrusted Skirt, Ruler of the Night Sky. The Divine Twin-Flame

represents the vivifying and purifying qualities of the Godhead and they embody the

sacred dual nature of the Universe.

Having been deceived and intoxicated by the seductive charm and opulent

luxuries given to them by Balaam, the Jaguar Priest and Lord of Death, humans


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outside in a dank tent. Our host, whose name is Rosendo Chun Pop, is a Kekchi Indian.

Since he has no knowledge of Spanish and I have only the most rudimentary

understanding of his Mayan dialect, our communication is limited to gestures and

smiles. But, as we sit sipping sweet coffee, he seems happy to share his little cabin and

warming fire with us and his smiles and twinkling eyes convey his friendliness better

than words ever could. The ambient temperature outside is probably around 45 degrees

F. but the wet-cold of the clouds makes it feel like it is below freezing. I am here in the

mountains of Verapaz with naturalist Veronica Chavajay. Veronica is a 34-year-old

Guatemalan native from the village of Santa Clara La Laguna in Solola Province;

perched above the sacred waters of Lake Atitln. Her ancestors include both Mayan and

Spanish elements. From an early age she has pursued and avid interest in studying

nature and bush medicine. Our intention is to observe and photograph the resplendent

quetzal. Although ornithologists have hailed the quetzal as the most spectacular bird in

the Americas few people, outside of the natives who live in the highland forests of

Central America, have ever seen the emerald serpent bird. The reason for this is simple:

the cloud forest habitats of the quetzal only remain in the most remote and inaccessible

regions where the weather is unusually inclement. Also, the bird has become

increasingly rare and surreptitious due to human depredation. This is in sharp contrast to

the way it was before the conquest. According to documents left by the Spanish

missionary Bartolom de las Casas, to kill a quetzal was a capital offense:

In the province of Verapaz they punish by death they who killed the bird with the rich

plumes because it was not found in other places and these feathers were of great value

because they used them as money.


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The Maya had a symbolic system of colors: black for weapons, obsidian; yellow for

food, corn; red for war, and blue was for sacrifice. But the royal color was green, the

color of Kukul. Highland Indians were allowed to trap the birds and remove their tail

feathers (which grow back each year), but they were forbidden to kill or keep them

captive. After the cacao bean, which was used as a form of currency, the commodity that

probably contributed most to the natives wealth were these feathers. When the great

Mayan cities fell the highlanders continued to trade quetzal feathers with the Aztec

Capitol of Tenochtitlan, located where Mexico City stands today. When the Spanish

Conquistadors visited the Aztec city they found the rulers, priests, and dignitaries

wearing elaborate headdresses made from quetzal feathers. Bernal Daz, who chronicled

the conquest of New Spain, described how the great Montezuma, when he came to

meet Corts, was shaded by a huge canopy of quetzal feathers. But Montezuma made a

fatal error. According to ancient texts left by the Mexica, Quetzalcoatl, man or god, had

promised to return from the East in the year 1-reed (1519), and this was 1-reed.

Assuming that the Spanish who landed on the coast of Veracruz were the returning gods

the Aztec Emperor failed to prepare a defense and before he knew what had happened

Corts and his mangy army of 400 had defeated and sacked Tenochtitlan. And along

with plundered gold, silver, and gems sent back to the courts of Europe were the

exquisite plumes of quetzal. Before long there was a growing demand for the feathers.

No longer would the serpent bird be protected. The new rulers declared them to be free

game.

It is not easy to get up to the Sierra Yalihux. Leaving the claptrap and slums of


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Guatemala City behind, you must drive down into the arid Motagua Valley. On the way

we searched for some relict of the forest that had existed there hundreds of years before,

but found only scrub desert. By the 16th Century central Europe had been largely

deforested and the Spanish found a ready market for fine tropical hard woods. And so

they began a process of desertification that continues today. On the other side of the

valley a series of switchbacks took us up into the mountains of Verapaz. Gradually the

sweltering desert gave way to pine forest and then cool evergreen broad-leaf forest. An

hour later we stopped in the little town of Tac Tic and had lunch at a restaurant called

Comedor Bombil Pec where a beautiful young Mayan girl served us bowls of the

regional specialty Cak Eek, a rich turkey and chile stew accompanied by fresh roasted

corn tamalitos. After a short siesta we headed out in our jeep down a badly rutted track,

which led us into the Polochic Valley along the rushing river. Down and Down. After

hours of constant pounding we arrived at the village of Tamah, on the floor of the

valley. Here we took a right onto an even more rustic roadway that led up into the coffee

plantations. It was hot and steamy. The vegetation was very lush with many palms and a

profusion of epiphytes. We observed many kinds of beautiful birds: keel-billed toucans,

flocks of little green parrots, and several colonies of oropendola, easily identifiable by

their strange nests which look like miniature hammocks hanging high up top in huge

kapok trees.

It took us another four hours to climb up through new and abandoned cornfields and

get to the forest edge. The misting rain, called cheepy-cheepy by the natives, had begun

and it was getting cold. I was happy that we were nearing our destination. Upon entering

the cloud forest it was like stepping into a vast cathedral bathed in perpetual twilight.


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And as soon as I had entered I felt that there was something unusual about it. Something

that seemed very ancient and mysterious. Huge old oaks and alders towered up to form a

canopy 150 feet above us. These massive trees were covered with a profusion of mosses

in which were rooted ferns, herbs, shrubs, and even small trees along with countless

species of orchids, bromeliads, epiphytes, and vines. Everywhere there were giant tree

ferns, many growing to more than 40 feet in height. More than a century ago the English

naturalist William R. Brigham saw these forests and wrote:

Tropical vegetation cannot well be described. The real trouble that meets the novice

on the threshold of the tropics is the utter inadequacy of the English language to express

the variety and luxuriance he sees in the vegetable world. Even in color his vocabulary

fails him and he must include in the name of green so many distinct tints that he often

fails to try.

It was very silent. Through the mist the only sounds that we could here were made by

water. Gurgling streams and rivulets and drops dripping down cascading from one leaf

to another. We continued to slog up the muddy trail and it was a surprise when, after

what seemed like a very short time, we came to a clearing where there stood a little

thatched-roof cottage out of which arose a plume of blue smoke. Rosendo Chun's place!

He was not at home but his two daughters came out to greet us with steaming mugs of

hot coffee. I used the rest of the daylight to try and locate a quetzal with no luck. It was

raining steadily and all the forest creatures were staying inside their warm nests and

burrows. When I got back I found that Rosendo had returned from hunting and had

prepared slabs of wood at one end of the cabin, which were to serve as our sleeping


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quarters during our stay. He greeted me by saying hass capey? which Veronica told me

she had found out means do you want something to eat? I replied oos, which means

good, affirmative. Soon we were served hot stacks of yellow and blue corn tortillas

along with a bowl of cooked green herbs called makui, which tasted like spinach. It was

a simple meal, but one that tasted good enough to be fit for a king, especially after the

days exertion. I tried to ask Rosendo about the quetzal. Rochoch Li Quetzal, I asked,

reading from the list of phrases I had in my notebook. This was supposed to mean

quetzal nest but Rosendo just sat there smiling and nodding at me. His whole family,

wife, three daughters, and two sons were sitting around the fire watching with wide eyed

curiosity and each time I tried to say something in Kekchi they all burst out laughing

and mimicking my pronunciation in high pitched squeals. They laughed till they cried as

if seeing this strange alien visitor trying to speak their language was the funniest thing

they had ever seen. It was then our turn. Veronica picked up different articles giving

their Spanish or English name and our host and his family would attempt to repeat the

words. This only caused more uproarious laughter by everyone. In this way we passed

our first evening together.

We spent the next few days getting to know the area and looking for signs of the

quetzal: fruiting trees where they might be likely found eating and potential nest sights.

One afternoon while I was trying to get a photograph of an unusually large red snail,

Rosendos youngest son Chung came by and seemed fascinated that I was giving the

snail so much attention. I looked at him, then pointed to the snail and smiled, nodding.

When I was finished photographing the boy picked up the eight-inch long snail and put

it in his pocket. He gave me a big smile, nodded, and pranced away into the forest. I


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went about my business, thinking nothing about the incident, except that it was nice that

these people were so friendly. Later that evening at dinner we were brought our stacks of

tortillas as usual but when I got my stew bowl I immediately noticed a strange smell and

saw that in the broth were strips of something weird. Then I noticed an antenna. Oh shit!

Chung had assumed that my interest in the snails had gastronomic implications and had

set about collecting as many as he could for our dinner. The whole family sat there

smiling at us. There was no escape. It was a beautiful gesture on his part but I must

admit that the slimy, half-cooked snails were among the hardest things I have ever had

to eat... right up there with raw sea-urchin and fermented whale blubber. But we had to

smile and eat it. Anything else would have been an insult. But from then on if was

studying some spider or worm and heard one of the family coming I would quickly

divert my gaze to the trees and hope that they would not discover my true focus of

interest. Never the less, we were treated to a variety of strange fare including wild

pheasant, giant tree maggots, and smoked monkey, which, by the way, was not half bad.

One morning I awoke before dawn. Still in a dreamy state, I could hear faint but

distinct calls coming from all sides. It was a sad, slow sort of cooing. I thought it must

have been Rosendos turkeys digging around for insects and worms outside the cabin. I

woke up Veronica to ask her what she thought. I cant be sure, she said, but it sounds

like quetzals. Adrenalin shot into my blood and I was up and dressed in an instant. In

the past I had heard one and sometimes two quetzals singing while exploring the forest

but this sounded like several dozen. We went outside in the darkness. It was windy and I

was startled to find the sky absolutely clear and full of the brightest stars I had ever seen.

The calling continued; some of the birds were very near while others seemed to be


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calling from across the valley. We stood listening until the first brilliant rays of sunlight

came over the horizon. It looked like it would be a bright, clear, sunny day, a rare

enough event in the cloud forest. Rosendos youngest daughter --a real cutie-- brought

us hot coffee and we stood at the edge of the clearing surveying the forest above and

below. Over the next few minutes the cooing diminished to almost nothing. Our next

move would be to go out in search of whatever had been making the sound. Suddenly, as

the first beams of the sun began to touch the canopy a spectacular sight! Without any

warning a form, a bolt of shimmering emerald green shot vertically up from the forest. It

was a large male quetzal spiraling upwards with long tail feathers streaming behind. As

he continued his skyward flight he made a loud raucous cry: WAKA WAKA WAKA

WAKA. He continued swimming up through the air-waves until he was several hundred

yards above the forest after which he dove, with wings held close to his body, streaking

into the canopy on the other side of the valley. I could hear my heart pounding in my

chest. This was nothing like I had ever seen or read about. Not just the amazing display

flight but the loud, almost macaw-like cry that the quetzal had made. Then another

quetzal shot up out of the trees in vertical flight. Over and over again this expression of

sheer exuberance, joy, and freedom was repeated. It occurred to me that no other

creature I had ever seen so embodied the symbol of the phoenix of Egyptian mythology;

rising immortal from out of the ashes of destruction. Rosendo came down to where we

were standing. Li Kukul, he said smiling and pointing to the forest below. We nodded!

Standing there I wondered whether old Rosendo had any idea of the role the quetzal

had played in the history of his people. According to tradition the quetzal took part in

the struggle between Spanish conqueror Pedro de Alvarado and the great Mayan Chief


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Tecun Uman. After Alvarados mercenaries had slain 30,000 Maya on the battlefield

near Xela-Hu (Quetzaltenango) innumerable quetzals flew down to earth and settled on

the bodies of the warriors. All through the night, keeping a deathwatch, the quetzals

covered the bodies of the slaughtered Indians. At dawn the birds flew into the sky again,

but different from before: their breasts had soaked up the blood of the dead, and since

that day the quetzal has been red underneath.

Later that morning I was writing up some notes and I decided to try and sketch what

the quetzals display flight had looked like, knowing that to get good photographs of it

would be next to impossible. As I looked at my drawing it dawned on me that the figure

of the quetzal, flying straight up into the sky with tail feathers rippling behind, looked

oddly reminiscent of the Greek caduceus: Two serpents intertwined about a staff and

topped with a winged sun; carried by the ancient messengers of the gods, Mercury and

Hermes. Could it be that the winged serpent of the Maya and the Egyptian symbology,

which gave rise to the caduceus of Greek mythology, had a common origin? Both

represented the herald of the forces of Light, the Life Force. Thousands of years before

the flowering of Egyptian Civilization the great sages of India had used essentially this

same symbol. It stood for the serpentine power of life-energy that they termed Kundalini

in the ancient Vedic scripture.

We ended up spending three months living with Rosendo in the cloud forest. During

this time we logged hundreds of hours observing the quetzals courting, nesting, eating,

and rearing their young. I was able to take many photographs, which have been used in

campaigns to promote the conservation of this supremely beautiful bird. Today there are


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more than 50 cloud forest reserves in Meso-America which protect the resplendent

quetzal's habitat. These range from small, private reserve projects such as the one

established at Chelemha in Alta Verapaz in Guatemala, to the huge, magnificent El

Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas Mexico. Every country in Central America has its

own cloud forest protected areas and they are all worthy of a visit.

Recently I convened an informal meeting of some of Guatemala's leading

conservationists including former Minister of the Environment Juan Mario Dary,

ornithologist Knut Eiserman, Juan Rivera, government head of Eco-tourism

development and several other young, idealistic guatemalan ecologists. The meeting

took place as Finca Los Tarrales reserve, a private cloud forest reserve, and was hosted

by owner Andy Burge. The purpose of the meeting was to brainstorm honesty and

forthrightly about our struggle to defend the tropical forests of the region. All too often

conservationists pat themselves on the back for this or that project which they are

responsible for while at the same time "Rome burns." I said to the guests that we must

get real about the predicament that we are facing if we are to have any success saving

forests looking forward into the 21st Century. Guatemala has the second highest birth

rate in the Americas, after Haiti. That in itself is a scary reality. As long as couples

continue to have four or six or more children, everything we do as conservationists will

be in vain. As it stands, many of Guatemala's protected areas have been invaded by

land-hungry campesinos. And the situation is largely out of control. At the same time the

Catholic Church continues to oppose every effective nearly every effective form of birth

control. Guatemala is careening ever more dangerously into "failed state" status as drug

lords and organized gangs gain control over growing territories and millions of dirt-poor


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Mayan Indians struggle to eek out an existence. And we all know that Guatemala is just

a type for what is taking place all around our planet. The future looks perilous indeed!

It was evening and we were all sitting and chatting in the historic Tarrales Restaurant, a

hundred years ago this was Casa Patronal of a prosperous coffee plantain. The region

had been developed by emigrants from Germany and Britain beginning in the late

eighteen hundreds. As I sat there I noticed that there was continual stream of plantation

employees making there way to one of the several chapels located on the farm. It was

not Sunday, it was tuesday. These workers, after a long days labour, would congregate at

the church of their choice EVERY NIGHT to sing and pray to their God. I shook my

head and said to everyone, THAT is the kind of motivation that we need to inspire

among the population if we are to succeed in saving the forests! Our only hope is to

inspire a Green Movement that has the same kind of kinetic energy that we see

expressed in these humble peoples motivation to attend and support their churches. Even

Knut Eiserman, one of the regions leading ornithologists and outspoken "devout

atheist", enthusiastically agreed. Only if a grass-roots movement to save the forests

emerges, something along the lines of a spiritual revival, will we succeed in conserving

the rainforest. That same evening was born a new project to develop our Evangelio

Verde or Green Gospel: a philosophical argument so simple and compelling that it

would reach the hearts of the overwhelmingly Christian population of Meso-America.

We have to get people to understand and "feel" that it is nothing less than the will of

God that we stop destroying the forests and begin reforestation efforts everywhere. I told

my companions that I recalled reading years ago an article by population biologist Paul

Erlich where he stated that what is needed is a "quasi-religious movement" to save


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nature. I said that I will take away the word "quasi" because, although I feel myself to be

very remote from any organized religion, still, as I gaze up at the night sky or marvel at

the designs of nature, I "feel" a presence of something that people refer to as "God." We

are all in agreement that we need to try and be catalysts for the emergence of a popular

green movement in Central America and we can't do it without the participation of the

churches.

Development of a Green Gospel is now the focus of my environmental education efforts.

Our arguments must be elegant, simple, and compelling. I want to put a "face" on the

major forces of nature in order that ordinary people can begin to understand what should

be our relationship to the Earth. Since time immemorial humans have spontaneously

referred to "Mother Earth" and "Father Sun." Everyone agrees, rich and poor alike, that

only the most depraved lost soul would intentionally do damage to his or her own

mother. Who would dump toxic chemicals on the head of her own mother? Who would

do anything to damage her physical well being? But that is exactly what we are guilty of

doing to the Mother of all life on Earth. The focus of my next book, and accompanying

exhibits and promotional campaigns, is this Green Gospel and revolves around the

symbology of the quetzal as embodying the forces of Life which must triumph over the

forces of death. I envision that we will design posters with the image of a beautiful

woman, coincidentally reminiscent of the Virgin of Guadalupe, superimposed over a

photograph of the Earth.

Not long ago I was walking down a remote wilderness beach in the Sian Kaan Biosphere

in Quintana Roo, Mexico. I was marveling at all the flotsam and jetsam garbage strewn


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along the entire, otherwise pristine, shoreline. I imagined that this same scene is being

encountered all over the globe. How in the world are we going to clean up this vast

mess. The answer suddenly came into my mind as clear and as simple as a child's

nursery rhyme. If every able bodied human on Earth would volunteer just one day a

week to clean up, reforest, and restore our planet we could do it. Its that simple.

Therefore I will preach this Green Gospel to the best of my ability. Finally, my

reasoning for wanting to protect nature is simple, direct and personal. I love to walk in

pristine forests, I love to breath sweet, clean air and drink pure spring water and I "feel"

that we must honor our Earth Mother just as we honor our own mothers if we are to be

healthy and happy here on our lovely blue sphere. Humans desperately need a new story

and that is what our Green Gospel is all about. It is a story that transcends all artificial

divisions created by human-designed institutions and is meant to catalyze the epiphany

that the Earth is a living being and she is worthy of honoring that we are all one

human family on Earth and we need to all work together to restore all that is beautiful

and pure on our planet. The development of a new story for humanity begins as a dream

and a hope. My task as a human being is to dream the most beautiful dream I can

conceive of for myself and others and then try and make that dream come true. My

dream is one of maximum health, happiness, freedom and justice for all.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and

seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from Heaven, and I

will forgive their sin and will heal the Earth. [II Chronicles 7:14]


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The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of

the shadow of death a light has dawned. [Isaiah 9:2]

[Please Note: in the development of our Green Gospel environmental education project,

we make frequent reference to words in the Bible simply because this is the vernacular

95 % of the residents of Meso-America are familiar with. I am just as happy to quote

from the Bhagavad Gita, the Way of Life by Laotzu, the Mayan Popol Vuh, the Koran,

or even from the visionary pronouncements of Bob Marley, Buckminster Fuller, James

Lovelock or Mary Baker Eddy. My upcoming book, also called Green Lightning (El

Relmpago Verde) will include them all.]

NATURAL HISTORY OF THE QUETZAL

THE MOST SPECTACULAR TROGON

Since Trogons are non-migratory and move but little locally the existence of three

widely separated populations (American, Asian, and African) is sited by scientists as

further evidence that the Earths continents were once all united in one super-continent.

Also, in past geological ages, when tropical forests extended far beyond their present

limits, the ancestors of todays Trogons probably were much more numerous with a

wider distribution. The present day resplendent quetzal ranges through the mountains


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from the Mexican state of Chiapas to Western Panama. There are two sub-species

separated by the lowlands that exist in central and Southern Nicaragua. The Northern

Sub-species, Pharomacrus mocinno mocinno, which dwells in the cloud forest of

Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras, Northern Nicaragua, and El Salvador, has been

described by many ornithologists as being distinguished from the Southern race by the

greater length of its upper tail coverts although I have not seen any evidence that this is

true. To the contrary, some of the longest tailed quetzals I have ever seen were from

Panama. The Southern sub-species, Pharomacrus mocinno costaricensis, inhabits the

mountain complex of Costa Rica and Western Panama. The only justification for

designating two separate sub-species of resplendent quetzal is the fact that the two

groups have been geographically isolated from each other for a long time, otherwise the

two exhibit no physiological differences. In fact, I have seen greater differences between

separate groups of quetzals within Guatemala than I have seen between specimens from

Guatemala and Costa Rica.

The resplendent quetzal is the most spectacular member of the pan-tropical (world-

around) Trogonidae family of birds. The Trogons are comprised of 39 species and are

best represented in the Americas where they inhabit nearly all wooded areas of the

continental tropics and even range beyond to Southern Arizona (U.S.A.), Cuba and

Hispaniola each have one endemic Trogon. The remaining members are found in Africa

and Asia.

All Trogons exhibit similar behavior and physical structure: they are arboreal birds of

medium size with compact bodies, short necks, short stout bills, and short legs. The


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plumage is unusually soft and delicate. All males exhibit glittering green, blue, or violet

upper plumage while the breast is a contrasting red, yellow, or orange. Females have

much more mute coloration dominated by tones of brown, gray, or slate. One very

distinct feature of the Trogons are their feet: their toe arrangement is heterodactyl: two

toes forward and two toes back similar to that found in parrots, toucans, and

woodpeckers except that in all other heterodactyl toed birds the outer or fourth toe has

moved backwards to give a firmer grasping power. The Trogons are unique in that the

inner, or second toe is shifted to the rear, and the two front toes are joined at the base.

Since first being described in literature in 1830 scientists have designated the quetzal

with at least 10 different names including: Trogon pavoninus, Trogon resplendens,

Calurus resplendens, Caluras paradiseus, and Pharomacrus paradiseus. Today scientists

identify the quetzal with the name Pharomacrus Mocinno. In Latin Pharo means light

and Macrus means big: bird of big light. Mocinno is the family name of the European

naturalist who first obtained study skins of the quetzal. Mocinno was successful in

shooting numerous examples and sending them back to the Old World Academies who

in turn honored him by immortalizing his name.

The first account by a scientist describing aspects of the natural history of the quetzal

was published in 1861 by British Biologist Osbert Salvin entitled: Quesal-shooting in

Vera Paz and reads more like a safari adventure than a scientific expedition:


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March 12. Off to the mountains at last, with a fine day and a fair prospect of

success. The road after crossing the river strikes off to the northward a mountain

track winding among the hills. Soon after entering the forest a river crosses the path a

foaming torrent a fall into which gives no hope of escape. A felled tree, one of the

largest of the forest, forms the bridge, over which, slippery with moss and foam, we

have to pass. For ourselves it is nothing; but I must say I tremble for the Indians, each

of whom carries his 75 lbs. of cargo. In the worst and most slippery part the foot-hold is

somewhat improved by the tree being notched with a machete, but still it is as

dangerous a pass as I ever crossed. After half an hours delay we reach the other bank.

One mozo only turned faint-hearted, and another carried his pack across. From the

river the path becomes very precipitous, and we continue to climb till we reach the foot

of a rock, where we find a deserted rancho and take possession. A fire having been

made to heat the pixtones, we dine, and afterwards start for the forest close by to look

for Quesals. On entering, the path takes the unpleasant form of a succession of felled

trees, which are slippery from recent rains, and render progress slow. My companions

are ahead, and I am just balancing myself along the last trunk, when Filipe comes

running back to say they have heard a Quesal. Of course, being especially anxious to

watch, as well as to shoot one of these birds myself, I immediately hurry to the spot. I sit


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down upon my wide-awake in most approved style close to Cipriano, who is calling the

bird, and wait, all eyes and ears, for the result. I have not to wait long. A distinct

clattering note indicates that the bird is on the wing. He settles a splendid male on

a bough of a tree not seventy yards from where we are hidden. Cipriano wants to creep

up to within shot, but I keep him back, wishing to risk the chance of losing a specimen

rather than miss such an opportunity of seeing the bird in its living state and of

watching its movements. It sits almost motionless on its perch, the body remaining in the

same position, the head only moving slowly from side to side. The tail does not hang

quite perpendicularly, the angle between the true tail and the vertical being perhaps as

much as 15 or 20 degrees. The tail is occasionally jerked open and closed again, and

now and then slightly raised, causing the long tail-coverts to vibrate gracefully. I have

not seen all. A ripe fruit catches the Quesals eye, and he darts from his perch, hovers

for a moment, plucks the berry, and returns to his former position. This is done with a

degree of elegance that defies description. The remark has often been made by persons

viewing stuffed humming-birds, what lovely little things these must look in life, when

they are flying about! But they are not. Place a humming-bird twenty yards from you,

and what do you see of its colours, except in the most favorable position and light. This

is not the case with the Quesal. The rich metallic green of the head, back, and tail-


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coverts reflects its colour in every position, whilst the deep scarlet of the breast and the

white of the tail show vividly at a distance, and contrast with the principal colour of the

body. The living Quesal strikes the eye by its colour at once. It stands unequaled for

splendor among birds of the New World, and is hardly surpassed among those of the

Old. Such are my reflections, when a low whistle from Cipriano calls the bird nearer,

and a moment afterwards it is in my hand the first Quesal I have seen and shot.

In 1882 an article appeared in the German animal encyclopedia BREHMS

THIERLEBENunder the heading: THE QUESAL, OR RESPLENDENT TROGON in

which the author observed:

Only in the air, however, is the beauty of the Quesal seen in its full perfection; and

as it floats rapidly but gently along, with feathery train outspread, those who have

witnessed its elegant movements will admit that amongst all the inhabitants of the

Western Hemisphere it is without rival.

A publication of the American Museum of Natural History entitled BIRD-LIFE IN

GUATEMALA which was issued in 1932 contained these observations by M.S.

Anthony:

Protected by law and its capture forbidden, one might expect it to be somewhat

common. Such, however, is not the case. There are a few localities where it is still more

or less common, but constant persecution has greatly reduced it in most of its former


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haunts, and in many it is quite extinct. There are still many to be found in Alta Vera Paz,

where I saw several on the Finca Sepacuite. At this locality they were confined to the

virgin forest, well away from such sections as might be often visited by man, and all

seen were in giant trees, well above the range of such guns as used by the native

Indians. I was told by the proprietor of the finca, that when they cut the road through

the forest, the Quetzal was abundant but very soon retired to the forest, well away from

travel. At Nebaj this species was quite common in some of the forest near the town,

though I did not see it. Several were killed and offered to me by the Indians, who

claimed to have killed them with their blow-guns using balls of clay. I often met Indians

on the trail with such weapons and the long, green plumes of the trogon wound around

their hats.

It was not until 1944 when the young North American biologist Alexander Skutch

published his Life History of the Quetzal that we find a detailed description of how the

quetzal really lives. The study by Skutch remains as the major authoritive work on the

subject and his excellent description of the quetzal is reproduced here:

... I shall give here, with only slight changes, a word picture that I wrote in my

journal on April 28, 1938, when I had the living birds daily before me: The male is a

supremely lovely bird; the most beautiful, all things considered, that I have ever seen.

He owes his beauty to the intensity and arresting contrast of his coloration, the

resplendent sheen and glitter of his plumage, the elegance of his ornamentation, the

symmetry of his form, and the noble dignity of his carriage. His whole head and upper

plumage, foreneck and chest are an intense and glittering green. His lower breast, belly,


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and under tail coverts are of the richest crimson. The green of the chest meets the red of

the breast in a line which is convex downward. The head is ornamented by upstanding

bristly feathers which form a narrow, sharply ridged crest extending from the forehead

to the hindhead. The bill is a bright yellow, and rather smaller than that of other

trogons, even those of inferior size. The glittering eye is black, and set directly among

the green feathers of the face, without the white or bluish or golden orbital ring that so

many trogons possess.

...The dark, central feathers of the tail are concealed by the greatly elongated upper

tail coverts, which are golden-green with blue or violet iridescence, and have loose, soft

barbs. The two median and longest of these covert feathers are longer than the entire

body of the bird, and extend far beyond the tip of the tail, which is of normal length.

Loose and slender, they cross each other above the end of the tail, and thence diverging,

form a long gracefully curving train which hangs below the bird while he perches

upright on a branch and ripple gaily behind him as he flies. The outer tail feathers are

pure white and contrast with the crimson belly when the bird is beheld from in front, or

as he flies overhead. To complete the splendor of his attire, reflections of blue and violet

play over the glittering metallic plumage of back and head, when viewed in a favorable

light.

FEATHERS

Under direct sunlight the quetzal is a brilliant lime-green with bluish highlights, but

when in the shade its feathers may manifest hues ranging from purple and ultra-marine

to rich deep jade-green. The incredible iridescence of their feathers is due to to the

existence of rows of microscopic melanin pigment granules which cause the differential


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refraction of incident light and break the white light down into different colors. The

hues shift constantly like the colors reflected in a soap bubble.

Quetzals are sedate birds who perch tranquilly for long periods. Their flight is

undulating with intermittent burst of rapid wingbeats. Food is chiefly fruits, especially of

the Laurel family (Lauraceae), and occasionally insects, both of which are plucked from

stem or foliage in mid-flight at the end of a sudden upward or outward sally, without

alighting. It is an unusual behavioral trait that the quetzal seems incapable of taking a

fruit while perched. I have spent many hours observing quetzals feeding in fruit trees

and have noticed that even if the bird is perched on a branch full of fruit, even if the fruit

is within inches of its beak, it is unable to take it. Only when in mid-flight will the bird

pluck the fruit. Sometimes a lizard, frog, or snail is taken. The song is simple but often

very melodious, the most common being a melancholy coo-cool, coo-cool. Sometimes

the male can be heard singing an unusually beautiful song of deep, smooth, slurred notes

in simple patterns: keow kowee keow kloo keow kloo keeloo. On a few occasions I

have heard them make sounds remarkably similar to a cats meow.

COURTSHIP AND NESTING


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Ritualized reproductive behavior begins in March or April. Often male and female

quetzals can be seen flying through the forest in small flocks and it is at this time of year

when the males spectacular vertical display flight is most seen. Once the male-female

pair is formed they proceed immediately to search for a suitable nest site. Often pairs

will attempt to return to nests used the previous year and intense competition between

pairs can ensue. The male, especially, can be seen making aggressive spiraling flights

and calling loudly if any other pair is seen in the vicinity of his chosen nest, though I

have never seen actual physical combat. Since quetzals, because of their relatively weak

beaks, are only capable of carving nest holes in the most rotten tree trunks, there are

probably cases where some pairs are unable to mate because of lack of sufficient nest

sites. Once a good site is found and it may be either in the middle of the forest or and

adjacent clearing both male and female go to work making the hole, usually from 5 to

27 meters (14 to 90 feet) above the ground. The hole is deep and similar to that of a

woodpecker. In fact, sometimes quetzals will take over an abandoned woodpecker nest.

Two pale blue eggs which measure approximately 30x35 mm. are deposited on the floor

of the unlined hole. Both male and female take turns with the work of incubation, which

takes 17 or 18 days. When the nestlings hatch they are perfectly naked with pink skin

and closed eyes. Now the parents spend the days bringing food that consists at first

primarily of insects and other small invertebrates. After ten days of so their diet is

enlarged to include a wide variety of larvae, small frogs, lizards, snails, and increasingly

fruits. At the end of three weeks the chicks are fully feathered and ready to leave the nest


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although often they will remain in the nest for another week or so. As soon as they leave

the nest the chicks disappear with their parents into the densest part of the forest where

the safest refuge is afforded. During nesting the quetzals are threatened by a variety of

predators including: weasels, coatamundis, hawks, and eagles. There is a popular myth

that the quetzal nest is always equipped with two holes so that the male does not damage

his tail feathers entering and leaving. In truth the nest usually only has one entrance and

the male does often damage his tail coming in and out. Fortunately the beautiful tail

feathers grow back. It is also a myth that the quetzal cannot be kept in captivity. Many

zoos around the world have maintained quetzals in their collections though to date only

one successful breeding in captivity has been reported. Hopefully conservationists will

be able to preserve enough cloud forest habitat in Central America to ensure that the

quetzal may continue to be the living symbol of freedom.

Gray are all the theories

but green is the tree of life. -Goethe

AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

Scientists estimate that the complex network of living plants and animals which


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make up the Earths biosphere contains somewhere between 5 and 60 million species

and the great majority of these live in tropical forests such as those found in Central

America. Unfortunately scientists also inform us that an extrapolation of the current

trends in reduction of diversity implies that the damage to nature during the next 100

years will be comparable to the effect of global nuclear war: the majority of Earths life

forms will be extinguished.

Most of us are aware of the fact that the Quetzal is an endangered species. But if the

quetzal is just one of perhaps 30 million species, why would its disappearance be of any

great importance. How could this negatively impact humanity and nature? First of all if

the quetzal, one of the most beautiful creatures on Earth, becomes extinct, it will be

because we allowed humans to destroy them. Knowing that we are accountable,

regardless of the fact that it is one species among many, will be the cause of lasting

dishonor and sadness for the human family. Will future generations forgive us for

destroying what should have been their heritage, or will they remember us being

incredibly selfish barbarians. Will we be remembered for putting a man on the moon, or

for turning our fair planet into a polluted desert?

What will be the effect of the extinction of one species on nature as a whole? The

truth is, no one knows. Neither can we predict with any reliability the consequences of

destroying entire communities of species. Humanity is conducting a vast, uncontrolled

experiment upon the mechanism of the biosphere. One species, one element of the

mechanism, is destroyed... then 10, then 100, then 100,000. No one knows which

species may be of key importance to the system and its removal provoke catastrophic


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events. We do not know how many species can be extinguished before the smooth

workings of the ecosystem (the complex living mechanism which is the entirety of all its

biological parts along with associated geological, atmospheric, and climatic factors)

begins to fail. The decline of the quetzal is not an isolated occurrence. It is just one

example of what is happening in general to nearly all natural life systems around the

world. The quetzal is in decline because forests where they live are being destroyed.

Already more than 80% of the original forests have been eliminated. Tropical forests are

made up of such an elaborate pattern of hundreds of thousands of organisms that they

cannot be re-established by man. It is not just a problem of absence of reforestation

programs. Try and imagine a clock made up of 60 million parts, all interacting, all

working together to make the machine function properly. Not only that, but all the

individual parts are constantly evolving and adapting to each others changes and

changes in the environment. What is more, this machine is constantly and selectively

making adjustments in its activities which affect the surrounding atmosphere creating

those conditions most beneficial to the mechanisms smooth working. This is a very

much simplified model of Earths biosphere. It is a synergetic system, which means that

the whole is greater than and acts in ways unpredicted by the sum of its parts. All this

leads us to the understanding that man will never be able manage planet Earth as if it

were an industrial factory. Wildlife management is a contradiction in terms. What is

wild is not managed by man. What is managed by man is no longer wild. Our Earth, of

which we are a part, is a gigantic living entity which scientists call GAIA. Gaia knows

best how to run life on Earth: she has been doing a good job for over 3 billion years! We

humans are Gaias children and we have only recently begun to discover a little about

how she works. It is incredibly arrogant, stupid, and selfish for humans to think that they


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could destroy most of Gaias millions of years of evolved complexity and replace it with

human designed systems based upon mono-crop agriculture and a few domesticated

animals without disrupting the equilibrium of life on Earth... provoking disastrous

consequences for ourselves. The best we can do especially in our present condition of

extreme ignorance concerning the workings of our planet is to get out of Gaias way

as much as possible, try to learn from her, and to work in support of the functioning of

her system. We must halt further destruction of natural ecosystems and begin the

enormous task of global reforestation. World energy production must be transformed

from todays inefficient and dangerous burning of fossil fuels, wood, and atoms to a

system powered by solar energy which would include photo-voltaic and wind powered

electric generation facilities as well tidal, hydro-electric, and clean burning alcohol fuels

produced fermenting grains and sugar cane. We must prohibit further release into the

atmosphere, waters, and soil of toxic chemicals and smoke: the technology now exists

which will permit us to sort out all chemicals now being dumped into the environment

by individuals and industry as pollution. Nature has no pollutions. It has very valuable

chemistries that function only under special conditions. The task in the coming years

will be to institute a global system of recycling of all these chemical elements which

today constitute humanly threatening concentrations of garbage and toxic chemical

complexes. If these sorts of changes are not begun soon the future does not look very

bright for our children. According to Dr. Paul Erlich, Professor of Biology at Stanford

University and one of the worlds foremost experts concerned with the impact of human

activities on the environment:

All plants, animals, and microorganisms exchange gases their environment and thus


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second power of the linear (radial) growth speed. That is why it is c2 in

Einstein's equation, which means 186,000 X 186,000 miles of spherical

surface growth per second. Since human thought can calculate in minutes

what it takes light to travel in one year, it may be that thought itself expands

outwardly in all directions at a speed even faster than light--maybe in no

time at all--to inter-network the people of our eight-thousandmile diameter

spherical space home.

Later on, Buckminster Fuller's translation of Einstein's equation into a comprehensible

english explanation (in his book Utopia or Oblivion) which got Einstein's stamp of

approval, went on to speculate that the ancient concept of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit"

was alluding to the same cosmic design strategy. I would only add that if Fuller's

hypothesis is correct that it would be more accurate to say: Father, Daughter and Holy

Spirit! since gravity (life on Earth) is the female phase and radiation ( The Sun-star,

Earth's nuclear power plant, sending life the energy it needs from a safe distance of 93

million miles away) is the male phase. The marriage of these two fundamental

complementary quantum form the tetrahedron, the fundament structural design strategy

used by the Universe. Radiation and gravity always and only co-exist. Therefore, it

seems that Meso-American's may be on to something with their extraordinary reverence

for and devotion to the female phase of nature as personified by the Virgin of

Guadalupe, the Holy Mother, whom they have elevated to the same exalted status as the

Christ. They have correctly intuited that reverence for both male and female elements

are crucially essential for our survival.

Life on Earth is asyntropicfunction. Energy from the nearest star (the Sun), which is

radiating outwards entropically is imported by the Earths biosphere. Plant life is


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constantly impounding this radiant energy to transform non-living matter into highly

orderly molecular structures, organisms, and living communities of ever greater

complexity and beauty. Humans are designed by nature to function as the maximum

syntorpic element on Earth. Only humans, among all known creature, come equipped

with minds which are capable of discovering and employing the design laws of the

Universe. This knowledge allows us to create technologies ever more sophisticated and

efficient, doing ever more with ever less, until we reach the utopian dream of prosperity

for all on board Spaceship Earth: the end of poverty, which is the root cause leading to

waring for control of resources..

But at the present moment humanity in its entirety is, by destroying nature,

functioning as an entropic, anti-life force. Only a few hundred years ago our numbers

were so small that our interference with natural systems was minimal. Today, because of

the rapid expansion of the human population coupled with the inappropriate use of

powerful new technologies, the human species is found to be functioning against what

life was designed to do. And we can see very clearly now that our civilization must

begin to transform itself into a force which works in support of the health and well-being

of Gaia instead of continuing to exploit nature selfishly (entropically). If we do not

accomplish this transformation soon enough it is not impossible to imagine that nature

herself will use whatever means necessary to eliminate a species that persistently acts

against the intent of life on Earth.

The revolution has come

Set on fire from the top


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Let it burn swiftly.

Neither the branches, trunk, nor roots

will be endangered.

Only last years leaves and

the parasite-bearded moss and orchids

will not be there

when the next spring brings

fresh growth and free standing flowers

ONLY INTEGRITY IS GOING TO COUNT

Human integrity is the uncompromising courage of self

determining whether or not to take initiatives,

support of cooperate with others in accord with all the

truth and nothing but the truth as it is conceived of by the

divine mind always available in each individual.

Whether humanity is to continue and comprehensively

prosper on Spaceship Earth depends entirely on the

integrity of the human individual and not on

the political and economic systems.

THE COSMIC QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED:

ARE HUMANS A WORTHWHILE TO

UNIVERSE INVENTION ?


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-R. Buckminster Fuller

Is there any hope? Yes, there is hope. Because of rapid advances in scientific

knowledge and the resulting technological capability we CAN clean up our civilization

and begin to work in support of life on Earth. What is more, we now, for the first time

since humans appeared on this planet, have the realistic option to completely eliminate

hunger and poverty. Already a large percentage of humanity are enjoying levels of

material wealth and comfort unknown to any king of 200 years ago. What we must do is

use our knowledge and resources for the benefit of all humanity instead of for the

development of bigger and bigger bombs with which to blow each other up. Can this be

done taking into consideration the limitations of our human nature? I believe the

answer is yes. For the first time in history all humanity is about to be forced by way of

global ecological emergency to work together cooperatively for its own survival. The

sooner the work begins; the smoother will be the transition. Our future success and

very existence depends completely on more of us becoming involved. We cannot wait

for governments or scientific organizations to take us by the hand and lead us out of the

fire. The future of our species depends on individual integrity and initiative. We are all

on one boat SPACESHIP EARTH and the boat is sinking because her life-support

systems are rapidly being destroyed. A message comes over the ships intercom:

volunteers are urgently needed to help keep the ship afloat. Those interested should

present themselves immediately at their nearest nature defense association office to find

out what to do.


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Those that would gain what is under heaven

By tampering with it

I have seen that they do not succeed.

For that which is under heaven

Is like a holy vessel, dangerous to tamper with.

Those who tamper with it, harm it

Those who grab it, lose it.

From the TAO TE CHING (Way of Power) written by the Chinese

Philosopher Lao Tzu in the 4th or 3rd Century, B.C.

PIONEERS OF CONSERVATION IN MESO-AMERICA

I first visited Guatemala in 1973 as I was traveling south while on a

solo motorcycle tour around the world. I had been studying in a pre-med

program at the University of San Francisco but was not getting on very well.

It seemed like the primary focus of most of my colleges was simply how to

get themselves set up for maximum money making, not liberating their

fellow human beings from the oppression of disease. To take advantage of

people when they are down -when they are sick - in order to extract as much

money from them as they can bare, that seemed wrong to me. Such an

attitude is not likely to endear a young student to the medical faculty. So I


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decided to quit school, hop on my Honda 350, and tune in to the wild blue

yonder destination unknown! I headed South, knowing virtually nothing

about the countries I would be visiting. I would find out along the way. I had

read somewhere that there was about to convene one of the first international

conferences concerned with planetary ecology in Mexico City. The summit

was to bring together the worlds foremost Earth-scientists and ecologists to

discuss the health of the planet and issue a prognosis. I decided to attend the

conference and was very moved and impressed by the depiction the experts

conveyed of a planet facing an imminent extinction crisis, climate change,and rapid impoverishment of the complex web of life comprising the planets

ecology. One attendee made reference to the need for a whole new scientific

discipline which he termed "planetary medicine." If humans are causing the

entire planet to be "sick" than what would be more urgent than graduating a

core of Earth-doctors to work for the planet's healing. It was particularly

appropriate and prescient that I should attend this world congress at the

beginning of my circumnavigation of the Earth during which I was to witness

firsthand the accelerating destruction of the natural world in South America,

Oceania, Asia, and Europe.

When I got to Guatemala, a month into my tour, I was struck by thehospitality, warmth and wild sense of humor of the Mayan people. I ended up

living in a dirt-floor hut with a Cak' Chiquel Indian family by the shores of

Lake Atitln for several months. It took Guatemala to get my smile back.

From there I continued on to South America and then westward-bound


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around the world. I got back to the United States in the fall of 1975 but knew

within a few hours of setting my feet on U.S. soil that I would soon be on

the move again. I would spend some months working to get some traveling

money together and then take off again. But to where? My thoughts returned

to Guatemala. I will go back and see my Mayan friends.

On February 4 of the following year Guatemala was struck by a 8.8

earthquake decimating much of the country and leaving nearly 40,000 dead. I

settled up my affairs and flew down to work in the reconstruction. Iremember arriving in the area of Chimaltenango, one of the countries larger

cites, which had been 90% destroyed. The night of my arrival I ran into a

young man who seemed to be lost, wandering around the streets. We struck

up a conversation and it turned out that his entire family had been killed and

he didn't know what to do or where to go. As I was working with a Canadian

disaster relief crew I took the grieving man to the provisional office where he

was fed and attended to. I only mention this because for me this was one of

many experiences, which taken all together, formed lasting impressions on

my personalty, all leading up to where I would be going, which was soon to

be determined. In the fall I made the decision to stay in Guatemala and my

thoughts returned to the idea of planetary medicine. If I was not suited tobeing a medical doctor, perhaps I might have success being a planet-doctor.

But where to begin? Someone mentioned the name of Edgar Bauer, at the

time the government official in charge of Lake Atitln National Park. I went

to visit don Edgar at his ranch near the Tzutuhl Indian village of Santiago.


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He received me with a warm welcome, told me to make myself at home and

invited me to a delicious lunch of fresh hand-made blue tortillas, Caldo de

Gallina soup, homemade farmers cheese, stewed black beans, and a mildly

fermented fruit drink called suchilez. Everything was absolutely scrumptious.

No doubt one of the reasons that I love Guatemala so much is because I love

the food. The Maya call themselvesHombres de Maiz, men of corn and I

have always loved the many delicacies made from the sacred grain: tamales,

chuchitos, atoles, pixtones, tayuyus, and on and on. The traditional Mayan

diet is essentially an organic, macrobiotic fare built on a foundation of whatthey refer to as the three sacred sisters: corn, beans, and squash. Add to this a

cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables, wild herbs and game, the

ubiquitous turkey for eggs and flavorful stews, and you have table set for an

emperor. But I digress

After lunch we sat on a veranda overlooking the azure waters of Atitln

drinking coffee from don Edgar's very own plantation and chatting about

everything under the sun. I told don Edgar of my interest in getting involved

with wildlife conservation in the region. He informed me that conservation of

nature in Guatemala was in its early infancy but, if that was my focus, the

man I should see would be Professor Mario Dary, the founder of the Schoolof Biology at San Carlos University in Guatemala City. (it is interesting to

note that San Carlos was one of the first Universities to be established in the

New World in 1658) I told don Edgar that if I was to initiate a conservation

campaign that I thought it would be more effective to focus on one particular


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endangered animal, something along the lines of what the famous zoologist

Jane Goodall had done with the chimpanzees. Thats an easy one, don Edgar

said, no one has ever studied the manatee on the Caribbean side of

Guatemala. In one afternoon the course of the next five years of my life was

set. I just didn't know it yet.

I attended a public lecture in Guatemala City given by biologist Mario

Dary Rivera entitled The Quetzal: Symbol of Conservation. Professor Dary

spoke eloquently and appealed to the audience to transform the quetzal, theNational Bird of Guatemala, from merely a civic emblem into the symbol and

focal point of the newly emerging conservation movement. Nearly everyone

present seemed impressed by the talk and alarmed by some of the statistics

given. According to the professor, much of Central America will be reduced

to desert in the next few decades and millions of people will face starvation

unless present rates of destruction can be slowed. As an example he spoke

about the habitat of the quetzal. Originally it had extended over much of the

highlands of Guatemala and had encompassed a range of more than 20,000

square kilometers. Today less than 1000 square kilometers of this habitat

remain. Unless drastic measures are taken it could be expected that the

quetzal will become extinct in the early part of the next century.

I made an appointment to see the professor that very afternoon. Our

first meeting was a week later at his offices in city's botanical gardens.

As he inquired about my interests and intentions I felt as if I were in the


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beam of a powerful spotlight. I told him of my desire to become

involved with planetary medicine, the healing of human-damaged nature.

The professor seemed particularly curios about the concept of planetary

doctors. Since I had no university degree it was a bit unusual what I was

suggesting: that his school of biology might back me up in a "save the

manatee" project. We agreed to have several more informal meetings

over the next few weeks. I was to investigate the situation concerning

marine conservation on the Caribbean side of Guatemala. During our

meetings it became apparent that the professor was making anassessment of my capabilities, knowledge, sincerity, and motivation.

Finally he agreed to take me on. I was invited to become a member of

the faculty of the School of Biology and the professor promised to locate

some funding, at the very least to provide me with food, shelter and

expenses during the project. He gave me a list of scientific papers and

books and told me to learn it all. These included what are considered

classics of zoological field studies such as Alexander Skutch's Life

History of the Quetzal andCarpenter's study of howler monkeys on Barro

Colorado Island in Panama and books including Eugene Odum's classic

on ecology and Holdridge's book on his Life Zone system of identifying

ecosystems. "Read, absorb, and learn this material" Dary said, "and youwill have all the knowledge you need to conduct a first-class biological

study. I will asses, correct if need be, and advise you along the way. I am

confident that you will do a good job." Thus began a five year project

which began as a conventional zoological field study of an endangered


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marine mammal. I immersed myself in the still pristine habitat of Lake

Isabel and the Rio Dulce which empty into the Caribbean Sea. It did not

take long to determine that manatees were becoming very rare and

endangered. It took less than a year for me to decide to change course

and, instead of simply conducting a scientific study, I made up my mind

to become an environment activist and educator. And that is what I have

been doing ever since. First with my save the manatee campaign and

later when I established several of my own conservation organizations

such as Defenders of Nature and the Green Lightning Nature Project.

Professor Dary was the leader of the first real nature conservation

effort in Guatemala and established the Center for Conservation Studies

at the University. Once again the winged serpent had returned to grace

the banners held by warriors fighting for the forces of life! Due to Dary's

efforts the first quetzal reserve was established; a large tract of virgin

cloud forest in the Province of Baja Verapaz which bears his name:

Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera Para la Conservacin del Quetzal. I was

privileged to have been involved with the establishment of this reserve.

It seemed that the quetzal might have a chance after all.

In 1977 I was conducting an informal survey to get a better

knowledge about the status of manatees in the region. I wanted to know

how the sea cows were doing in Mexico, Belize and Honduras. It was

during that survey that I met Professor Miguel Alvarez del Toro, the


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godfather of conservationists in Chiapas.

First there is a mountain

then there is no mountain

then there is.

The battle to defend nature continues, but there is no question that the forces of

death and destruction have the upper hand today, not only in Central America, but also

around most of the planet. And the Mother of Life suffers with little relief. It is a David

and Goliath situation. On the one hand you have our industrial civilization polluting and

destroying the Earth while at the same time lulling its citizens to sleep with mind-

weakening drugs, stupefying education and entertainment, and endless promises of

providing an ever greater array of glittering trinkets to all that play the game their way.

Little or no regard is given to the consequences. This is Tezcatlipocas team. Its leaders

pay tribute to the gods of gold and greed.

THE SYMBOL OF FREEDOM

One day, as I was hiking around the Quetzal Biotopo, stalking trogons,

cacomistles, and violet saber-wings, I was approached by two young girls.

Their father, who was sitting at the rest area adjacent to Kantixul Falls, had


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recognized me and told them that I was the biologist who had taken the photo

which had became the ubiquitous portrait of their national bird. At first the

young naturalists pretended that they were just looking around, not trying to

talk to me. Finally one spoke, "are you Thor Janson? We wanted to ask you a

question. Is it really true that the quetzal cannot live in captivity?"

I was well aware that many zoos over the years had maintained

resplendent quetzals in their collections and that at least on two occasions had

successfully bred them. I also remembered the feeling I had upon seeing a

quetzal in a cage some years previous. I had thought: this is one of thesaddest things that I have ever seen. To see the most magical, sublime jewel

of nature captive in a little cage, so that crowds of marauding, raucous

schoolchildren could ogle him that is for me, obscene.

So, after pondering the girl's question for a few moments, I spoke:

"Yes, it is true. The the quetzal, the elusive winged-serpent, cannot live in

captivity. At school you were taught that your national bird, the quetzal, is

the symbol of liberty; that liberty cannot exist in captivity. That is perfectly

true. While it is possible for people to trap a quetzal or a jaguar, put it in a

cage, and keep the creature alive for a time, the truth is, that is not living.

The quetzal is the lord of the cloud forest. He is magnificent, mysterious and

elusive - pure magic! Imagine the thrill you will feel when, after spendinghours or days searching, you finally catch a glimpse of the emerald king! The

delight you will feel in your spirit by being privileged to ponder the splendor

of one the forests most spectacular denizens, that magical feeling will stay

with you for the rest of your life. Arrogant humans are on a mad quest to


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control and bottle up that which was created to be free. There is a saying that

goes something like this: if you love someone, you have to let them be free.

You don't keep them in a cage. What I am trying to say is that if we love the

quetzal, the jaguar, the eagle and the dolphin, we will want them to be free. If

we love nature we will want nature to be free. Nature is freedom. The quetzal

is nature's glory. The quetzal must always be free."

[ Needed: dollars and cents facts about how much money is invested in the major zoos of the world in

contrast to how much money is being spent on habitat conservation. How much does a major zoo cost

to build? 250 million dollars and how many major zoos are there in the USA. How much is the annual

budget in Brazil for conservation of the Amazon? In 2010 we are in an extinction crisis on Earth. Time

is running out to preserve species diversity. Triage must be applied. Where should the limited money

go? Nuff said. ]


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