The Maya Golden Landscape is centered around the Golden Stream and Golden Stream Corridor Preserve. It covers approximately 200,000 acres and includes several Mayan villages. The Landscape is unique because of the large number of Protected Areas that converge within a relatively small area. In fact, approximately 80% of the land is still natural vegetation, forming the primary southern biological corridor for Belize, which is the only remaining broadleaf forest link between the Maya Mountains and the forested coastal plains of southern Belize.

In addition to this, the Maya Golden Landscape encompasses a wide range of other land uses. Traditional farming is practiced by local Mayan communities, much in the way their ancestors have done for thousands of years. There is also a tourist resort (Belize Lodge and Excursions) and several private farms, using modern agriculture to produce citrus, rice and other cash crops for national and foreign markets.

The majority of local people have been identified as being "cash poor" by a National Poverty Assessment which identified that 79% of people in the District live below the poverty line. Whilst most would agree with this, they do not necessarily share the same vision of development that the Government does, and would point out that they are in a fortunate position of being blessed with abundant natural resources. Unfortunately, this situation is changing as rapid population growth combined with traditional practices is rapidly draining the land of its natural wealth.

Understanding the links between local people and their natural resources, Ya'axché promotes Integrated Landscape Management, a holistic approach which aims to ensure that local people's way of life is improved, but not at the expense of the species and ecosystems that have sustained them in the past and are critical for the future.