Home Trip Journals Partners About Us Sponsorships   El Bosque This Cooperative was founded to preserve the natural Pine forests of the area around San Pedro Pinula in the department of Jalapa, eastern Guatemala.  The local ethnic groups are Chortí and Pocomam, though the language use in both groups is dying out.  Traditional economic activities are limited to the cultivation of corn and beans, but to plant these crops, communities need to clear pine forests on order to feed their growing families.  The cooperative provides alternative income to avoid this problem.   Communities involved in the cooperatives work in three areas: Pine needle basketry, carpentry and rabbit breading for meet.  Tree harvesting is managed with reforestation programs alongside fire prevention programs jointly run by the cooperative and the local forestry authorities.