The Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation (pronounced “SAY-ba”) derives its name from Ceiba pentandra, a majestic tropical tree widely revered by humans for its grandiose stature and beautiful form. The Ceiba tree, also known as the kapok or silk cotton tree, is present throughout the tropics and symbolizes the complex biological interactions and human connections with the environment that underscore our work. The Ceiba tree was sacred to the Maya people of Central America, who believed the lofty tree carried human spirits to the heavens. The giant limbs of the Ceiba’s umbrella-shaped crown are laden with vines and epiphytes (aerial plants) and provide home to countless species of animals. Birds feed and nest in the tree’s high perches, mammals use the enormous limbs as aerial highways, frogs raise their tadpoles in the tiny pools that collect in bromeliads, and insects reach the peak of their diversity in the canopy of giant trees like the Ceiba. The huge flowers of the Ceiba tree are bat pollinated, but the name kapok (KAY-pok) refers to the fluffy waterproof fibers that surround the seed. These fibers are used to stuff mattresses and life preservers, and biologically to aid in seed dispersal. Kapok is also the name of our newsletter that disseminates the results of our work!
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