File:Up in the Clouds.jpg

English: The pristine Bladen Nature Reserve in the Maya Mountains. This is part of the eastern section of the protected area, close to Richardson's Creek. It has minimal human impact when compared to the western side of BNR, which is suffering from the impacts of illegal xate harvesting. Xate is a palm used to "fill" flower arrangements in rich countries and has a very slow growth rate, therefore making it unsuitable for sustained extraction. The illegal xateros, as they are known, also hunt game meat such as white-lipped peccary, paca and great currasow, all of which are important seed dispersers. In the long term, their decline could have serious implications for the composition and structure of these primary rainforests.