The Ya’axché Conservation Trust (YCT) is a community-based registered non-governmental organization from Belize’s Toledo District that was formed in 1998, with the primary objective of promoting biodiversity conservation in the Golden Stream Watershed (GSW). YCT’s secondary objective was identified as “to enhance sustainable development and livelihood opportunities in the rural indigenous communities surrounding the GSW.” The organization’s principal geographical focus is the Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP), a private protected area owned and managed by YCT that encompasses 14,970 acres. However, as YCT has expanded, so has its remit, with its areas of intervention being in order of importance: the Golden Stream Watershed, Toledo District, and Belize overall.
