The rain forests of southern Mexico represent the northernmost extent of this ecosystem in the Americas. In the past 30 years half of these forests have been destroyed; only three patches remain where once forest stretched unbroken from Veracruz to Chiapas. But at a university research station set up in 1967 something is being done. The authors, who work at the station, describe the conservation, research and education taking place there and the important role the station has in persuading the community of the necessity of conserving the country’s rain forests.