Map of the Maya World In its heyday from about A.D. 300 to 900, the Maya civilization boasted hundreds of cities across a vast swath of Central America.

The Maya civilization dominated what is now southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and the western areas of El Salvador and Honduras for more than 3,000 years until the era of Spanish colonization.

“Many of the younger generation don’t know how to use the land,” Jose tells me. That’s why Tumul K’in Center of Learning in nearby Blue Creek is trying to ensure Maya culture is ...