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    Environmental education
To conserve means to maintain the potential for development  
 
Many activities through which we have tried to propose changes with the participation of local people have been promoted through the education campaign that the Reserve has been developing for four years .
 
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Quetzal Campaign
The Quetzal Campaign works with the inhabitants of local communities, principally children and young people; adults have also taken part with great enthusiasm. Its purpose is to inform the people of the region about the meaning and importance of the establishment of the Reserve.

 
  The Campaign focuses on different themes each year, for example, “controlling fire”, “water and birds”, “organic coffee”, “being proud to live near the reserve”, among others.

Characters like the “Rainbow Quetzal”, the “Guardian of the Wood”, and many others invite us to learn more about the reasons for conservation by means of simple, entertaining, and colorful messages which encourage confidence and participation in rural schools in the communities within the Reserve's boundaries. The need to inform the inhabitants of the region about the meaning and importance of the Reserve gave rise to the Quetzal Campaign in May 2000.

The first step was to establish the image of the quetzal as a symbol of the Reserve. The Campaign is also concerned with themes such as the prevention of fires, the sustainable cultivation of coffee, encouraging a consciousness of the importance of water, and the conservation of birds' habitat.

To this end, various cultural events have been staged, and teaching materials and radio spots produced. All of the Reserve's personnel have participated in this work, and the Quetzal Campaign is currently active in 38 villages and 4 municipal urban areas within the Reserve.

The results of an evaluation of the Campaign show that 70% of the population of the region are now aware of the importance and meaning of the Reserve, and identify the quetzal as its emblem. The Campaign should be a permanent one, more radio stations should be involved, and new educational materials are needed at a basic educational school level.