Hollywood actor and producer Mel Gibson flew across the world to speak about his passion – the Mirador Basin Project.

Unknown to many, the Mirador Basin in Guatemala is the last tract of virgin rainforest remaining in Central America. More importantly, it is home to the largest and earliest cities of the Maya world.

“This is indeed the biggest ‘green’ project that I’ve stepped into and I am very passionate about it.

“I am absolutely in love with the project and struck by wonders of what can be found,” said Gibson, who is here to address Malaysian corporate leaders and environmentalists on the project as well as to raise funds and create awareness.

“It is not developed and there are no roads. It is good that there are no roads so people will not be able to burn the landscape and log,” he said.

Gibson, who is chairman of Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (Fares), is already working with local company Petra Group and the Sekhar Foundation to further develop the project.

The 52-year-old actor of several blockbuster movies like Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart and Apocalypto, and the producer and director of The Passion of the Christ said he first knew about Mirador Basin four years ago.

“I got myself involved in 2004 after my encounter with Dr Richard Hansen, an archaeologist who has devoted over 30 years of his life to this cause. I saw him one day on National Geographic and the rest is history,” he related.

“What Hansen and his team are doing is great but they lack in funds,” he said, adding that some US$600,000 to US$800,000 (RM1.94mil to RM2.59mil) is spent each year to maintain the work.

Sekhar Foundation’s Datuk Vinod Sekhar said much could be learnt from each other.

Apart from supporting the Mirador Basin Project, the foundation is also funding, supporting and facilitating an international research, training and environmental education programme in rainforest ecology conducted by the Royal Society South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme at the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah.

“We can share what we’ve done here and bring it to Mirador Basin,” Vinod said.

Source: The Star