by Kate Riley
There is perhaps no vista more characteristic of the Yucatán, than a shapely thatch roof amidst the sand and swaying palms, inviting you into its cool shade. These traditional structures, or palapas, are represented world wide, and likely arose from their natural simplicity, airiness, and impermeability. Unfortunately, their popularity is causing the endangerment of many plant species, and Quintana Roo is no exception.

A normal palapa roof may last 8–10 years, depending on the weather. With the hit of two hurricanes this year, most of the thatch in the Riviera Maya lost some hair. CEA was faced with replacing most of the roofs on the property, and though we evaluated more sustainable techniques like ferrocement, the aesthetics and practicality of palapa are hard to outweigh.

We had the good fortune to be visited by Don Antonio, a cacique (political leader) of the X-Haxil Ejido, near Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Ejidos are rural lands of communal ownership, which resulted from the Agrarian Reform Act, after the Mexican Revolution. In the state of Quintana Roo, 43% of the land is ejido, representing over 125 groups. Though they receive support through several governmental and international groups, the business of commercial forestry is barely sustainable for the Selva Maya (Maya Forest), or its inhabitants. One problem is the inconsistent market and exploitation of forest products and human labor. The other is the disappearing forest and wetlands.

Pancho, one of the 28 Maya who are camping out and fixing palapas at CEA, said that a researcher recently came to the ejido and calculated that the forest had 20 more years of production at the current rate of use. All of the wood for this construction has come from their ejido, though they had to obtain the thatch material from another ejido. After overharvesting guano and other palms, a wetland grass is now used (sacate), which also is under threat. However, Pancho said that ejido leaders section the land to selectively harvest material, with the proper forest-use permits required by law, and that the forest is still healthy in his area.

In May 2005, the X-Haxil ejido was approved for Smartwood Certification by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance. This international program seeks to improve forest management by providing economic incentives to groups that practice responsible forestry. Though many challenges still exist, working partnerships like these will enable the ejido communities to sustain themselves and the selva that surrounds all of us.

For more information on certified wood harvesting, please click here and try to buy wood products with the FSC approval logo.