Lancetilla Botanical Garden: Honduras' Green Treasure

On a recent trip to Central America, I had the opportunity to visit the Lancetilla Botanical Garden on the verdant Caribbean coast of Honduras. This 1680-hectare (4151-acre) green space and research center harbors over 1200 plant species and is said to be the second largest tropical botanical garden in the world.

Lancetilla, which gets its name from a palm tree native to Honduras, was established in 1926 by American botanist Doctor William Popenoe and his wife Dorothy. An employee of the United Fruit Company, William Popenoe set out to create experimental plantations for the study of economically important fruits and other plants. His garden has grown from modest beginnings to include species from tropical regions around the globe.

At the heart of Lancetilla lies the Biotic Reserve with 1281 hectares of protected Honduran primary and secondary humid forest. There are also 322 hectares of experimental plantations, plus the Wilson Popenoe Arboretum, which conserves tropical species from four continents. In addition, Lancetilla is home to many species of animals, including troops of endangered howler, spider, and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Some 250 species of birds have been spotted in the garden.

Our Honduran guide Salvador led our small group through the park-like Arboretum, the garden's most-visited area. On either side of meandering natural stone paths grew plants of all kinds, each identified with a sign giving both its scientific and Spanish names.



Along the way, Salvador pointed out medicinal, ornamental, and even poisonous species such as strychnine. We stopped to examine the infamous coca plant from which cocaine is made, plus we admired several national trees of Central American countries, including a giant Guanacaste tree from Costa Rica and the Honduras Pine. Salvador made sure to show us an ackee tree, the fruit of which is poisonous if improperly prepared. This tree is infamous at Lancetilla because Dorothy Popenoe, whose grave is in the garden, died in 1932 after eating an unripe ackee fruit.

Lancetilla Garden has a Visitors Center housing plant-related exhibits (signage in Spanish only) and a cafeteria. The center sells a trail map of the garden for 10 Lempiras (about US$0.50). Admission to the garden is 115 Lempiras (about US$6.00) and opening hours are 7am to 4pm daily. Guide services are available as well as birding tours. Air-conditioned cabins can be rented for overnight stays. Bring mosquito repellent, bottled water, and protection from the sun. Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center is located about 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) southwest of the beach resort town of Tela.

Move the cursor over the screen of the slide-show below to read captions. Click on individual images to see larger versions and for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Lancetilla Botanical Garden, Honduras - Images by John Mitchell

The Lodge at Pico Bonito in Honduras

On my recent trip to Honduras, I was fortunate enough to stay at the The Lodge at Pico Bonito located in the buffer zone of the Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, the largest National Park in Honduras. This luxurious ecolodge opened in 2000 and is now considered to be one of the finest in the world. The lodge’s mission is not only to give its guests a comfortable base for exploring Pico Bonito but also to protect the region’s flora and fauna. Presided over by 8000-foot-high Pico Bonito, the park covers over 264,000 acres of unspoiled tropical jungle and cloud forest that is home to more than 325 species of birds as well as peccaries, tapirs, jaguars, and many other rare and threatened animals.



Highlight of my stay was an early morning bird walk, where we spotted an assortment of exotic birds, including parrots and toucans, followed by a tour of the lodge’s extensive grounds with a local guide. Trails winding through orange and cacao groves took us to a butterfly farm where butterflies are bred and then exported to collectors around the globe. We then spent time in the adjacent Butterfly House, a spacious netted enclosure filled with fluttering butterflies. Next stop was the Serpentarium, which houses a variety snakes – both harmless and venomous – found in Honduras. We also visited an organic vegetable garden that supplies fresh produce for the lodge’s gourmet restaurant. Our excursion ended with a blissful swim in a crystal-clear mountain stream only a short hike away.

For more information about The Lodge at Pico Bonito, call toll free 1-888-428-0221 or visit their Website.

Macaw Mountain Bird Park near Copan, Honduras (Updated January 2011)

One of the most inspiring places that I visited during my recent trip to Honduras was the Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve located on the outskirts of Copan Ruinas, not far from the famous Maya ruins of Copan. This forested reserve is home to 110 exotic Honduran birds, including macaws, parrots, and toucans that have been rescued from captivity. A true labour of love, the bird park was created by American biologist and businessman Lloyd Davidson. He operated a bird park on the island of Roatan for over four years before purchasing a ten-acre patch of old growth forest near Copan Ruinas. After two and a half years of planning and building, Davidson and his business partner chartered a plane and moved the birds to their new home in 2003.



In addition to large flight aviaries with ample space for the colourful birds to fly around in, the park has nature trails, elevated platforms for viewing wild birds, and open encounter areas where visitors can interact with uncaged macaws and parrots. The park’s gift shop carries souvenirs and packages of “bird friendly” coffee from Finca Miramundo, a highland coffee farm partly owned by Davidson. Proceeds from the shop go towards the reserve’s upkeep.

The Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve is located about 2.5 km north of Copan Ruinas, a short taxi ride from the main square. The bird park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is US$10, which includes a tour with an English-speaking guide. The entrance ticket is good for three days.

2011 UPDATE

Lloyd Davidson, the owner of the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, told me on a visit in October 2010 that he now has between 160-170 birds and is no longer emphasizing breeding. Rather he is organizing moves to release more endangered Scarlet Macaws (the national bird of Honduras) into the Copan Valley. He will also be working with the World Parrot Trust on a ten-year plan to repopulate the wild with Scarlet Macaws, whose populations are seriously low due mainly to habitat destruction and illegal poaching of chicks for the tropical bird pet trade.