Project Ix-canaan (Mayan word meaning "Guardians of the Jungle") began in August 1995 with the opening of a medical clinic free to the people of El Remate and surrounding areas and staffed by volunteers.   Through diligence and donations, the work has now grown to include several different programs on several hectares of land.

Volunteers may choose to participate with Project Ix-canaan in one of three fields:

1. Medical: Work in the Community Clinic in any capacity that supports the ongoing growth and development of the idea.

2. Infrastructure Development:  This task would involve actual work on the land - chopping, clearing, planting and building paths, rest areas, fences and ranchitos.  The group will work with a local man, learning the techniques used for millennia to ensure survival in the jungle, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of a unique way of life. 

3.   Education:  There are an unlimited variety of classes, workshops or "teachings" that can be offered one-on-one or to a group of children, adolescents, teens, women or men that would be of inestimable value to the growth of the village and its people. These may include reading to groups of children, teaching basic computer skills to adolescents and teens, teaching English, giving workshops/classes in one of a variety of sports,  or teaching sewing or a marketable craft.  The group may design a single project or each student may work independently at a project of their choice.