Sanctuary magazine

Tropical Vacation by Ann Prince

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It's not just the birds that keep returning to Belize.

For twenty-five years, Mass Audubon has been supporting conservation in Belize, working in cooperation with local Belizean groups and other organizations in the US and the UK. Our commitment to Belize was and is still driven by our resolve to preserve habitat for neotropical migrants since so many of our Massachusetts songbirds spend the winter there or migrate through.

Mass Audubon Chief Financial Officer Bancroft Poor has been involved in these efforts from the outset, beginning with his first trip to Belize with a Mass Audubon Natural History Travel group in 1985. He remembers the warmth of the Belizean hosts, the amazing wildlife, the immense beauty of the natural areas, and a lot of flat tires—a forecast of the rewards and challenges to come.

At the time Belize, formerly British Honduras, had been an independent nation for just four years. But the stage was already set for a major initiative to protect Belize's natural resources. An Audubon society had been active in the country since 1969, and some members of the British forces stationed there had been conducting ornithological studies, including surveys of the distribution of neotropical migrants, since the early 1960s. The nation's people had a love for nature and an interest in the wildlife. Furthermore, Belize had a population that was low and predominately English speaking, unlike other Central American countries, and there were vast stretches of unspoiled subtropical wilderness.

Mass Audubon's first involvement, initiated by then-president Gerard A. Bertrand and Director of Conservation James Baird, was to provide funding for the Belize Audubon Society to encourage creation of a first-class park system, more actively manage the existing parks, develop conservation education programs, and step up advocacy related to emerging environmental concerns. Bertrand, Baird, and the Mass Audubon staff and board were driven by their keen awareness of the need to protect habitat for birds during the nonbreeding season. "Species such as the scarlet tanager, red-eyed vireo, and rose-breasted grosbeak are really tropical birds that happen to breed here," said Bertrand. "We have to ensure their safety."

In 1988, Gerard Bertrand expanded his charge to save winter habitat. On his recommendation, Mass Audubon's board voted to provide half a million dollars to launch the Programme for Belize (PfB), with the ambitious goal to preserve 110,000 acres of land in northwestern Belize and work with the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture to plan for appropriate development in Belize and conservation of natural resources. The Programme for Belize founders took a giant proactive step—"ahead of the wave of development."

Thanks to the foresight of early conservationists in the country, and the assistance of Mass Audubon and many other environmental organizations and academic institutions, Belize has remained one of the most biologically diverse nations in the world. Over 90 percent of the country is still forested, and the number of parks is truly impressive. There are 20 national parks and forest reserves, 9 marine reserves, a dozen natural monuments and archaeological reserves, as well as a handful of extensive private protected areas.

Today, the Programme for Belize is a glowing achievement. Only two decades after its founding, and as planned from its outset, it is run by a Belizean staff and board. The programme's Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area has expanded in size from 110,000 acres in the late 1980s to 260,000 acres today and is the second largest protected area in Belize, covering about 4 percent of the country. Ecologically rich, the land supports 200 tree species, 390 bird species, and 70 different mammals. Rio Bravo is the site for many projects including an award-winning ecotourism operation with two field stations that also serve as lodges.

Mass Audubon now administers the Belize Conservation Fund and handles many aspects of support for our Belizean counterparts including not only monetary assistance but projects that help preserve biodiversity, encourage sustainable development, and provide conservation education. Bancroft Poor has been instrumental in continuing this support. His enthusiasm has remained undiminished over two and a half decades.

As well as maintaining a close affiliation with the Belize Audubon Society and the Programme for Belize, Mass Audubon has forged a cooperative working relationship with the Toldeo Institute of Development and Environment (TIDE) in southern Belize. Founded in 1997, TIDE has 20 staff who help manage the Toledo district's resources responsibly and protect the region's natural features such as the Maya Mountain Marine Corridor—a million-acre reserve that connects broadleaf forest and pine savanna with mangroves and the coral reef and offshore cayes.

Over the last couple of decades, as groups successfully protected valuable habitat in Belize, scientists were conducting research on migrants, confirming the belief that saving land on the winter grounds is essential. Research on Belize's migrant birds was completed by institutions including Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Wheaton College, Dartmouth College, Tulane University, the USDA Forest Service, the University of Missouri, and the University of Arkansas, among others, often in concert with colleges and organizations in Belize.

A 2005 study by Birds without Borders Belize investigated the relative importance of some of the country's key habitat types including broadleaf forest, riverine forest, and pine savanna for migrants during the nonbreeding season. Though certain songbirds showed some preference for specific habitats, all types proved appealing to many migrants such as least and willow flycatchers, northern water thrushes, yellow-breasted chats, and Blackburnian, blue-winged, and Kentucky warblers.

Then there were others such as the magnolia warbler, black-and-white warbler, and ovenbird that even showed random distribution—in other words, they demonstrated no preference for any one area but were found equally in the various habitats. Birds without Boundaries Belize emphasized how important it is to work toward conserving many different habitat types in the tropics to ensure that all species of neotropical migrants have adequate wintering habitat.

In fact, a wide range of habitats have been saved for these and other tropical migrants, which make up about 40 percent of the avifauna of Belize, as well as for the resident birds. Other neotropical migrants that depend on these land protection gains include species well known to most everyone such as the tree swallow, gray catbird, and Baltimore oriole. But it's not enough to create protected areas and manage them for birds and other wildlife. Conservation organizations are working closely with local communities to ensure that the villagers also benefit.

Encouraging alternative livelihoods and employment through ecotourism are pivotal to the permanent realization of preserving Belize. That's why Mass Audubon continues to offer training opportunities and technical expertise to our Belizean partners.

"In the mid-1990s, as our Belize land protection role ramped down, we started a more specific focus to assist our conservation partners in Belize," says Bancroft Poor. "One of our goals has been to get more Mass Audubon staff involved." Karen O'Neill, Mass Audubon Natural History Travel director, is a key participant in boosting ecotourism in Belize. As well as coordinating annual group trips to Belize, often led by Mass Audubon sanctuary directors, she designs customized itineraries for private groups and families.

In June, O'Neill and Stuart Weinreb, director of Capital Assets and Planning at Mass Audubon, went to Belize to assess ecotourism facilities to enhance the visitor experience at the Hill Bank and La Milpa field stations on Programme for Belize's Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area. At Hill Bank, overlooking the New River Lagoon, visitors can canoe, hike the nature trails, watch birds, and take a scenic boat ride on the lagoon for exceptional wildlife observation. La Milpa, three miles from one of the nation's largest Maya sites (currently being excavated by the University of Texas), is a perfect destination for exploration of broadleaf forest and ancient Maya ruins. While the wildlife and historical features are outstanding, O'Neill and Weinreb will provide recommendations to make traveling to Belize even more enjoyable. The goal is to ensure that the lodging is comfortable and welcoming, the kitchen and dining room attractive, the food excellent, and the stay positive and memorable overall.

Another noteworthy initiative that Mass Audubon has embarked on in the last couple of years is the Certificate Program in Bird Ecology in Belize. Modeled after Joppa Flats Education Center's popular Birder's Certificate Program, this course of study takes place in Belize and is offered by Joppa Flats Sanctuary Director Bill Gette and Education Coordinator David Larson, and Belizean Philip Balderamos of the United Nations Development Program. Naturalist guides, educators, and other personnel from nonprofits and governmental organizations participate in the certificate program each year to learn bird biology and leadership skills specifically geared toward accommodating North American birders touring Belize."We want to enrich ecotourism throughout the country," says Bill Gette, "and help the guides make trips even better."

Approximately 20 Belizeans attend each year, taking part in two 3-day intensive sessions in November and May. Each session takes place at a different location such as Hill Bank, La Milpa, and TIDE in Punta Gorda. Courses range from Flight and Migration to Bird Conservation, and an independent study is the final requirement. The individual projects have varied from a bird-based curriculum for middle school students to a bird checklist for a specific park. As well as contributing to the high quality of guides in Belize, the skills and knowledge acquired during the program will help the economy nationwide. There are now forty graduates, with representatives from every district in Belize.

Twenty-five years ago, Belizean guides were few and far between, and the nation had considerably fewer parks than it has today. Now the quality and quantity of preserved land rivals that in much larger countries, and the full range of ecosystems that have been protected are a sanctuary for neotropical migrants, as well as all the rich fauna of Belize. No one could have predicted this overwhelming success story when northern conservationists first realized the crucial role of wintering grounds for migrants. But Belize is now a mecca for birders who reap the benefits of land that has been set aside as a haven for the birds that breed in the north and go south for the rest of the year.

For more information on Programme for Belize, go to www.pfbelize.org. To learn about the Toledo Institute of Development and Environment, visit www.tidebelize.org.

Ann Prince is associate editor of Sanctuary magazine.

Birds of Belize Need Your Help
Consider a donation to the Belize Conservation Fund. You can help provide a vital source of funding for Mass Audubon's work in Belize, especially efforts to support our conservation partner organizations there such as the Programme for Belize and The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment.

A check can be made out to "Mass Audubon—Belize Conservation Fund" and sent to Mass Audubon Headquarters at 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.

Together we can keep our beloved summer songbirds safe on their breeding grounds and on their wintering grounds.

Birding Trips to Belize
Mass Audubon runs at least one birding tour to Belize each year. Private customized tours are also available.

OUR NEXT TRIP: Belize Optimal Birding—February 27-March 9, 2010
Mass Audubon's long history of conservation work in Belize allows us to provide a unique and educational tour, designed to showcase the best birding locations with excellent environmentally sustainable lodging. Covering the full range of habitats, we will start with Crooked Tree Lagoon then move on to the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area—the largest unbroken forest north of the Amazon. The trip will proceed to the pine and broadleaf forest of the Belizean highlands and conclude at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Reserve.

For more information, call 800-289-9504 or email Travel@massaudubon.org.