Over the course of four weeks, NATURE will explore this fascinating region in "The Forging of a New World," delve into Mayan culture in "Forests of the Maya," unearth the mysterious origins of the Taino people in "Hunters of the Caribbean Sea," and head to the north of Mexico to enter "The Fifth World of the Aztecs."

In this NATURE companion piece, step into the lush tropical landscape of the area and meet the jaguar, the guiding spirit and icon of the area's indigenous people, as well as some of the other wildlife inhabiting these forests and islands. Get an up-to-the-minute report on archaeological findings that may prove that humans came to this hemisphere far earlier than previously thought. Learn more about three important tribes, now vanished, the Maya, Taino, and Aztec, whose civilizations are still slowly being unearthed. And lastly, look for other Web sites and print materials related to these unique animals in our Resources section.

Be sure to check out the broadcast schedule for the 1997-1998 season, give us your feedback about the Web site and the programs in Dear NATURE, see the winners of our Contests for Kids, and try to solve our NATURE Puzzles.

Production Credits.

To purchase the video of SPIRITS OF THE JAGUAR, please contact WNET Video Distribution by calling (800) 336-1917, or by writing to WNET Video Distribution, P.O. Box 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407.

Please note: This site looks best when viewed using Netscape 3.0 or above, or Internet Explorer 3.0 or above, for Windows 95, Windows 3.1, and the Macintosh. If you have an earlier version or another browser, pages may not be presented exactly as designed.