ENDANGERED SPECIES COUNTDOWN: Throughout the year, iWild is highlighting an Endangered All-Star every day. Day 25: the Big Leaf Mahogany. A spectacularly beautiful species in the forests of Mexico, Central America, and South America, the Big Leaf Mahogany towers above the mid- and lower-levels of the forest, bearing long leaves, small white flowers, and extraordinary pods up to 15 inches long, full of winged seeds.
A commercially important hardwood, the reddish wood is used to make furniture, musical instruments, and paneling. Already commercially extinct in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and parts of South America, the species is slow to regenerate and is being logged, often illegally, at an unsustainable rate. Both WWF and the Global Trees Campaign promote sustainable forestry efforts and advise checking for Forest Stewardship Council certification before buying any timber, furniture, or other wood products. Consumers can make the difference: Demand certification, and companies will pay attention.
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