The areas of broadleaf forest in Toledo district Belize tend to be concentrated along the coast and then further back towards the western border with Guatemala and on the mountain ridge separating the villages of San Antonio, and Pueblo Viejo from Blue Creek and Aguacate.  Elsewhere the forest has been adversely affected by intensive agriculture, logging and hurricane Iris in October 2001.
It is part of the role of tourism to persuade the local people that there is more to be gained in the long term by the preservation of habitats than the short term exploitation of the land either for lumber or agriculture.
The best preserved forest is on the hillsides where access is more difficult.  Here the many species that thrive in broadleaf forest can be found.  The Blue-crowned and Keel-billed Motmots, the Barred forest Falcon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Band-tailed Barbthroat a variety of ant wrens and other birds that feed on the ants on the forest floor as well as Red-capped and White-collared Manikins.