Standing at the top of El Mundo Perdido at Tikal, I was astounded by the magnificence of the forest ecosystem. From that perspective, it is endless green broken only by the few largest Maya temples. The resilience of Maya architecture through time combined with the curiosity and technology of today are the only reasons the site was not lost to the forest. At the peak of Classic Maya kingdoms, the Maya people completely altered the landscape to provide for themselves. They were not nearly as extractive or destructive as our society today, nevertheless, they pushed the limits of what resources their environment was able to provide. After sites like Tikal were abandoned, the forest reclaimed its space. Without the disturbance of humans, highly productive ecosystems like this are able to bounce back with ease. All ecosystems thrive with some degree of disturbance, whether that be wildfires, hurricanes, dry seasons, or even plagues. With our advanced technology though, our society is currently creating a dire situation for many ecosystems across the world because of our literally destructive methods and long term effects of climate change. Maya sites like Tikal show that even after hundreds of years of human civilization clear cutting and plastering over the land, biodiversity will bounce back and resist the emptiness left by people. Some day our society will push the limits of even what the most advanced technology will be able to provide for, and we will leave a space that nature will fill again with rich ecosystems that can sustain themselves.