2014 belize audubon society annual report 1

2014 Belize Audubon Society Annual Report1


2014 Annual Report

Belize Audubon Society16 North Park Street, P.O. Box 1001

Belize City, BelizeE-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.belizeaudubon.orgTel: 501-223-5004/4988/4987

Fax: 501-223-4985


Vision The Belize Audubon Society is a national conservation leader and development partner that inspires people to live in harmony with and benef it from the environment.

MissionThe Belize Audubon Society is a non-governmental membership organization dedicated to the sustainable management of our natural resources through leadership and strategic partnerships with stakeholders for the benefit of people and the environment.

HistoryThe Society was formed in 1969 as a foreign chapter of the Florida Audubon Soceity and in 1973 became a completely independent organization.

BAS is the longest standing conservation NGO in Belize charged with co-managing eight of Belize’s most biologically and topographically diverse protected areas. BAS helped establish Belize’s f irst protected area at Half Moon Caye, and now co-manages eight protected areas in partnership with the Government of Belize.

BAS is a membership organization with an elected Board of Directors. It is a registered NGO under the Non-Governmental Organizations Act of Belize 2000, and is a member of several international organizations and local alliances.

Administration Staff

Executive Director Amanda Acosta

Finance Director Marnie Santana

Human Resources andOperations Director LucindaCastillo

Reservations and Gift Shop Coordinator

Delia Noble

Executive Assistant Carol Williams

Finance Coordinator Nikisha Ack

Office Assistant Devin Cacho

House Keeping Donna Bull

Board of Directors

President Earl GreenHonourary Secretary Lydia WaightFirst Vice President Mike HeusnerSecond Vice President Carlos MatusFirst Secretary Linda SearleSecond Secretary Judy LumbTreasurer Simon Reardon Smith

Directors Rudi Burgos Lisa Zayden Julie Robinson Anicasio Garcia Ernest Raymond Sr. LascelleTillett Carlton Young


Visitor looking at the Outlier, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary


April 2015

Dear Reader,

The Belize Audubon Society is proud to offer the 2014 Annual Report to its Members, Supporters, Partners and Friends. As usual, it presents a comprehensive re-port of what the staff of the Society was doing over the past year. Even though you may be sitting in a cool and comfort-able place while you read it, at the end you feel exhaust-ed as you realize just how much work was done in one year. Imagine leaving your home to join a three- or five-day patrol in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Or, picture yourself on site with the staff at Half Moon Caye who greet and guide dozens of visitors (strang-ers) to experience the attractions of that site. After the last visitor leaves, their only company are the lights of the ships passing by on the horizon. Safeguarding these parks require considerable effort, not to mention, the financial resources to pay for all the activities. In the end, it is worth the investment, the work of the staff with the support of all stakeholders, means that we are that little bit closer to ensuring that future generations will be able to enjoy the same benefits and experiences that we get from these protected areas today. When you finish reading, please share your copy with a friend, you might recruit a new member.

When we say that the Belize Audubon Society contin-ues to grow, it does not always refere to growth in num-bers of members. It also means that we adjust to meet the changing needs in management of the protected ar-eas. Increasing financial constraints or new conditions of co-management, mean that we have to streamline programmes for greater efficiency in using the resourc-es we have available. To this end, the programmes are more closely integrated, contributing to each other, but dependent on each other. The Environmental Educa-tion and Communications Programme is key in that while it provides the Society with its very public face, it is important in changing people’s attitude about the need for the protected areas. This programme is so

popular that, at times, the staff cannot keep up with the many requests for presentations, or for BAS’s partici-pation in various public events, whether organized by government agencies or private sector organizations. You will also see that the new Conservation Programme is already producing results. The enclosed Biodiversity Research and Monitoring Report describes how fo-cused research is contributing to better knowledge and information of our biological resources. It also shows how local, regional, and international collaboration with various partners result in a better understanding of what we have and what we need to protect. But read for yourself! We look forward to getting much more information out of this programme in the future, en-suring that we tailor our management programmes to satisfy our mission.

We might be managing fewer protected areas, but the seven being managed, require just as much effort as eight or nine. Remember, those staff members previ-ously based at Actun Tunichil Muknal have been re-deployed and fully integrated into other areas. All the parks require constant vigilance on the part of the staff to ensure the safety and positive experience of the vis-itors; as well as the protection and preservation of the plant and animal species inhabiting those sites. While we have the support of the law enforcement agencies, the first line of defence are these park staff who are there on a daily basis. Some of their achievements are described in the report on the Protected Areas Man-agement Programme. They, the Programme Managers, all emphasize the high level of team effort and collab-oration that helped them to produce the results you now read about. The Belize Defence Force, the Belize National Coast Guard, the Police Department, and the Tourism Police continue to be our valued allies in this effort to reach a balance between people and the envi-ronment. We publicly acknowledge their support and assistance in the parks. As a result of this support we are happy to announce that the incidences of criminal activities within the parks have been reduced compared to previous years. The partnership with the authorities mandated to manage these protected areas, the Forest and Fisheries Departments, remain strong. On behalf of the staff, the Board of Directors of the Belize Audubon Society is both pleased and proud to present the 2014 Annual Report.

Earl Green

Message from the President


Spawning Aggregation of Lighthouse Reef Atoll


Message from the Executive Director“Well done is better than well said”. ~Benjamin Franklin

The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) is an organization of doers; 2014 was no different in that regard.

A major institutional accomplishment for the year was the Strategic Plan 2014-2019, intended to be our “roadmap” for the next 5 years. As the consultants Praxi5 said in the preamble “It is essential to create direction for BAS by creating a comprehensive strategy with a dynamic and flexible approach to meet the demands of the ever- changing environment and to guide the future of the organization”.

BAS will maximize results by focusing on four critical strategies:

• Sustainable Natural Resource Management:

To continuously work towards improving the environmental integrity of key marine and terrestrial protected areas in Belize through effective, collaborative natural resources management;

• Biodiversity Conservation (Research and Monitoring):

To integrate science-based decision-making for adaptive management of protected areas and buffering environs;

• Environmental Education and Awareness:

Develop and implement an environmental education strategy for BAS to build knowledge, skills, and experience that would help to create more environmentally responsible citizens; and

• Organizational Development:

To strengthen the capacity of BAS to continue as a conservation leader and key development partner for the country of Belize.

Below is an institutional flow chart of how we envision getting there.

The 2014 Annual report outlines BAS’ major accomplishments and challenges for the year. Each programmatic area had lots of great work, which we are proud to highlight. It was a very active year due to all the projects BAS staff implemented: (1) institutional project, (2) community projects, and (5) site level projects. It is important to note these projects are in addition to the Society’s day to day work.

By visiting the protected areas under BAS co-management one would see the level of dedication and commitment to excellence that the full time field staff of 28 has. However this attitude is not only seen in the level of maintenance, which has gotten complicated as a result of erratic rain and unpredictable weather; but, also environmental education and awareness, community outreach, research and monitoring, and enforcement, the BAS staff (all 43 of us) pride ourselves on the work of the Society. --Amanda Acosta


Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary


PROTECTED AREAS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) is the co-manager of eight protected areas: Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site), Half Moon Caye Natural Monument (World Heritage Site), Blue Hole Natural Monument (World Heritage Site), Guanacaste National Park, St.Herman’s BlueHoleNational Park, CockscombBasinWildlife Sanctuary (Jaguar Reserve), Victoria Peak Natural Monument and Actun Tunichil Mucknal.

As per the agreement with the Government of Belize, theSocietyistaskedwithallthedaytodayoperationsandfundingneedsofthesitesweco-manage.Criticaltothefunctionalityoftheparks,theBASmanagementteam and field staff continue to offer their time,strength,knowledge,skillsandtechnicalexpertisetomeetthevariousfunctionsandneedsoftheprotectedareas. There have been numerous successes and challenges at the various protected areas. One of

the major successes in 2014 is the consistency (and increaseatsomesites)ofvisitation.Theincreaseisasaresultoffieldstaffandmanagementteam’sdedicationtomeeting theneedsof theprotectedarea throughupkeep and maintenance of park, environmental education and interpretation, community outreach,resourcemanagement and protection, and researchand monitoring activities. But with success comeschallenges, BAS management staff and field staffhave been cognizant of this reality and are determine to develop strategies both at a macro level of the organization and at the field level to sustainablymanageandmitigatethevariousimpactsevolvingasaresultofincreasevisitationtothesesites.

Staff Composition:

Terrestrial Parks Manager: Arvin Coc

Guanacaste National Park (GNP)

• Site Manager: Uriah Rhaburn

• ParkWardens:AlfonsoBaptist,JoseQuijada


Jose Quijada and Uriah Rhaburn at Guanacaste National Park


Jungle Patrol


St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park (SHBHNP)

• Site Managers: Irbin Lino (incoming mid-2014); Israel Manzanero Sr. (outgoing)

• Assistant Site Manager: Jeremio Cucul

• ParkWardens:AmandaGillett,MarvinCasey,Transito Jimenez, Jerzon Ortega (2014)

Actun Tunichil Muknal Natural Monument (ATMNM)

• Site Manager: Irbin Lino

• ParkWarden:BryanOrtiz

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS)

• Site Manager: Derick Hendy

• ParkWardens:WilkheimGillett,SteveTillett

Marine Protected Areas Manager: Shane Young

Half Moon Caye (HMCNM)/Blue Hole Natural Monuments (BHNM)

• SiteManager:CliffordCadle

• Assistant Site Managers: Julio Cal (Outgoing)

Celso Sho (Current)

• Research Assistant: Celso Sho (Promoted to Assistant Site Manager)

• Park Wardens: Joshua Morey (Outgoing), William Wade, Carlos Maza, Reinaldo Caal

• Coxswain: Justo Aranda

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS)/Victoria Peak Natural Monument (VPNM)

• Site Manager: Nicacio Coc

• Assistant Site Manager: Fredrito Villanueva

• CommunityOfficer(South):AlbertShol

• Park Wardens: Angel Pop, Eluterio Pop, Elvis Tush, Federico Tush, Mario Bolon, Brijilio Bolon, Rubilio Pop

• HousekeepingAttendant:RebeccaCal

Actun Tunichil Muknal Natural Monument

As one may recall as of December 2013 the BAS no longer co-managed Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve (TMNR). The relinquishment of management of TMNR opened discussionwith the Institute of Archaeology(IoA) on the co-management of the cave system within Tapir Mountain Natural Monument, the ATM cave.Afteracouplediscussions, theBelizeAudubonSociety was informed in July 2014, that the Board of NICH (under which the IoA falls) has made the decision to terminate the Memorandum of Understanding with respect to the management of ATM.

TheSocietyhad twostaffworkingdiligentlycarryingout the duties of the site in collaborationwith stafffromtheInstituteofArchaeology.Staffmajordutieswere trail/site maintenance and monitoring activitywithinthecavesystem.Asasitewithhighvisitation,it was integral for staff to monitor visitation flowwithin the cave to ensure integrity of cave system was maintained.

Throughouttheyear,staffhadseveralchallenges.Oneof the major challenges was the lack of adherence to rulesandregulationsbyseveraltourguides.Challengesof this nature required the support from management team (BAS, IoA, and BTB) to resolve. In spite of this staffcontinuedtoworkwithtourguidestoprovidetheneededsupportandinformationtovisitors.

Bymid-2014,thestaffofATMwastransferredtoSt.Herman’sBlueHoleNationalPark.

Patrols and Enforcement

Guanacaste National Park/St. Herman’s Blue HoleNationalPark

Aspartofresourcemanagementandprotection,patrolswere conducted on a monthly basis. On a weekly basis staffconductpatrolswithinthesitestrailsystemandboundary lines of the protected area. Reports from GuanacasteNationalPark(GNP)(for2014)haveshownminimal illegal activities occurring within the park.ThemajorchallengeforGNPstaffisthetrespassingofpeople from the west boundary line which is bordered by the neighbouring village of Roaring Creek. As a result, staff consistently conducted patrols in thisarea,onadailybasis,tomonitoractivitieswithinthatarea.Inaddition,theRoaringCreekPoliceSubstationhascommittedtoassisttheparkbyconductingdailypatrols around the park especially adjacent the west boundary line to monitor villagers who frequent the useofthecreekforswimming. GNPhasbenefittedfromhireofanadditionalstaff,whichhastranslated


Staff of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary perform-ing bird monitoring

Staff and Tourism Police pose for a picture after a long day’s work at St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park


intonoreportsofassaultsortheftfor2014.

PatrolsatSt.HermansBlueHoleNationalPark(SHBHNP)have also been consistent and conducted each month during 2014. Short patrols are conducted on a weekly basis and long patrols once a month. In the last quarter of the year, SHBHNP began to encounter illegal logging activityadjacentandwithintheprotectedarea. It isbelieved that the opening of the park’s boundary line is how illegal loggers have gained access deeper in St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park and private landsbehindtheNationalPark.BAStookpromptactionbyconductingjointpatrolswiththeBelizeDefenseForce(BDF) and Special Patrol Unit to patrol areas of illegal logging. As a result (of joint patrols) there have been minimal reports of illegal logging occurring within the park. BAS will continue to liaise with relevantenforcementagenciestostrengthenrelationshipsandto plan joint patrols.


During 2014 a total of 16 announced and unannounced patrols were conducted. Patrols were carried out by vehicle, boat, motor cycle and foot. The area patrolled included: Crooked Tree Lagoon, Bight Swamp, Black Creek, Mexico Lagoon, Jones Lagoon, Southern Lagoon, Poor Hall Creek, Spanish Creek, Western Lagoon, Back Landing Water Side, Calabash Pan, Alligator Pan, Nancy Bite and Revenge Lagoon.

BAScontinues toworkcloselywith theBelizeForestDepartment, Belize Fisheries Department, the Belize Police Department (Crooked Tree & Ladyville sub-station).Inadditiontothelongerpatrols,dailypatrolswere carried out on trails and on the Crooked Tree causewaybyCTWSsitestaff.Atotalof9gillsnets,3canoesandsmallfishingequipmentwereconfiscatedand handed over to the Fisheries Department. Seven persons were arrested and charged for illegal entry andillegalfishingwithintheSanctuary.

Half Moon Caye/Blue Hole Natural Monuments

BASandcollaborativeenforcementagenciesremainedvigilant within Light House Reef Atoll throughout 2014. BAS recognizes the need of these key partnerships andcontinuestocollaboratewiththeBelizeFisheriesDepartment,BelizeForestDepartment,BelizeNationalCoast Guard (BNCG), and Belize Tourism Police. Since November 2014, the Society has been working with theBNCGtohavepermanentpresenceofofficersoutat Half Moon Caye (HMC), this has resulted in regular jointoperations.

On average 28 patrols are conducted on a monthly basis within Half Moon Caye , Blue Hole Natural Monuments, and Light House Reef Atoll. Joint patrols carried out included: six (6) with Belize Fisheries Department;and,ten(10)withBelizeNationalCoastGuard.

During these patrols, eight (8) individuals were arrested for offences committed under the NationalParkSystemAct.Offencescommittedareillegalentrywithinanaturalmonumentand illegalfishingwithina natural monument. Seven of the eight individuals pleaded guilty to their charges. It is of note that daily patrols remain the same in 2013 and 2014; however, thenumberarrestshavedecreasedfromfifteen(15)in 2013 to eight (8) in 2014.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Patrols conducted in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS) are performed to minimize illegal entryandotherillegalactivitieswithinCBWS,withafocus on the eastern and southern boundaries of the protected area. Three types of patrols are carried out, these are:

1. Joint patrols (patrols conducted with police officersfromHopkinsorSitteeRiverpolicestation)-6 conducted

2. Deep jungle five days patrols (patrols involving Belize Defence Force, Special Patrol Unit, Forest Department and BAS) - 4 conducted

3. Staff patrols(patrolsconductedonlybystaff)- 8 conducted

Thepatrolshavedrasticallyminimizedincursions,poaching(hunting&fishing)inknownhotspots.Howeverondifferentoccasionspatrolteamshaveencountered people carrying out illegal logging operationsoutsideparkboundaries,hencenoarresthave been made.


Visitor Center with new extension at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Refurbished pier at Half Moon Caye Natural Monument


Infrastructure Improvement


Throughout the year, staff spent a lot of timeconductingmaintenanceduties,aspartofthepark’supkeep.Heavyrainsin2014meantthatstaffspentalargeamountoftimeinrepairandmaintenance.GNPstaffmade several upgrades to trail systems such asgravelfilling,constructingnewearthsteps,rakingandtrimminglawnonatimelybasis;cleaningofthevisitorcentre’s roof and repairing of the park fence were alsocompleted.SHBHNPstaffalsospentalotoftheirtimeanddedication inmaintaining the trail systemsso that they are neat and clean at both entrances of the park and as well the trails within cave systems. The following is a list of improvements carried out through 2014:

• Maintenanceoffieldfacilities

• Repair machinery

• Constant upgrading of trails due to wet weather

• Repair of bridges on trails at GNP

• Repair of Swim deck and Bird deck at GNP

• New small solar system (SHBHNP)

• Security camera installed at SHBHNP

• Extension of parking area (SHBHNP PACT project)

• Re-survey and clearing of boundary line (SHBHNP PACT project)

• Management plan development (SHBHNP PACT project)

• Newrestroomfacilities(SHBHNPPACTproject)


From late 2013 to March 2014 Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS) suffered a major flood event,which resulted in significant damages to the site’sinfrastructure. The BAS building, signage and trails were negatively impacted by the high flood waters.Toward the middle of the year, BAS was able to secure fund from UNDP-Second National Communicationproject to conduct repairs to the board walk, trails, and building.

During the floodphenomena, theBAS visitor centrebecame the base camp for the Belize Defence Force and BelizeNationalCoastGuard,whorenderedassistanceto the residents of the community. One of the major improvementstothesitewastheconstructionofanextension to the visitor centre to serve as a bunker intheeventofanotherfloodsuchasthis.Thevisitorcentre also received a fresh coat of paint.

Other investments/repairs under the project were: to install 12 new signs for the CTWS. The signs were installed at designated areas such as the entrance road to CTWS, the visitor center, the southern boundary, andalsowithinthecommunity.Inadditionnecessaryrepairs to the CTWS boat “Yellow Headed Parrot” were made.Therefurbishmentofthevesselhasallowedstafftooperatewithcomfortandsafety,whileconductingpatrols within the CTWS lagoon. Subsequent to the refurbishment of the boat, BAS was also able to legally register the boat under the Belize Port Authority.

Improvingtransportationwasmadepossiblewiththepurchase of a new Honda Motor cycle for CTWS. With theacquisitionofthecycleBASstaffcannowaccessboth trails on land and nearer to the water’s edge within theSanctuary.Staffmobilityhasalsoenabledstaffmemberstocarryoutcommunityoutreach,andconduct regular collectionofentrance fees fromthelocal hotels.


During 2014, BAS carried out repairs on the pier on Half Moon Caye (HMC). All planks on the pier were replaced. BAS was able to salvage old planks from the pier and recycle the lumber to construct picnic tablesforthesite.Moreover,BAScontinueditsregularupkeepoftheturtlenestingbeach,trails,signage,birdobservationtower,moorings,demarcationbuoys,andcampgroundfacilities.BASwasabletocollaboratewiththe Belize Port Authority to install channel markers from Blue Hole Natural Monument to Half Moon Caye Natural Monument.

BAScontinuetoembracetechnologyinitsmanagement of Belize’s Protected Areas. BAS was donateda SPOT device used to track and record theboats’location.Thisdeviceisusedtotrackthevessels’routeduringtransferofstafftoandfromHalfMoon Caye. The device serves as a security and safety for BAS employees in the event of an emergency.

In thebest interestof staff safetywhile travelling toand from Half Moon Caye in high seas, BAS acquired


Atlantic Bank installation of Credit Card Machine at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary giftshop

Upgrade of earthen steps at St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park


two Yamaha 75hp- 4-stroke-engines for its patrol and research boat. The two engines have contributed to thereductionofairandwaterpollution(reductionofgreenhousesgasesemissions),inadditiontotwonewengines,BAShiredafulltimeCoxswaintooperatetheboat,andmoresotoprioritizeonstaffsafety.

BAScontinuestocollaboratewiththeBelizeFisheriesDepartmentanditsmarineprotectedareasinadoptingthe SMART system as a part of the marine protected areas enforcement program. The SMART system serves as a database to track and record important patrol and enforcement information. In addition tothe SMART system implementation, the FisheriesDepartment provided two hand held radios and one base radio to Half Moon Caye. The radios are used forcommunicationandinformationsharingbetweenBelize’s marine protected areas.


Throughout the year, CBWS focuses on timemanagement; staff scheduling is critical to performall the duties on site which is dependent on theweatherandtimeoftheyear.CBWSstaffcarriesoutmultipletaskssuchas:trailupgradeandmaintenance,assist researchers, patrols, educational / communityoutreach, facility upgrades, mechanical repairs, guiding special groups in the park and to Victoria Peak.

Improvements made at the site this year include:

• Installationofcreditcardmachine

• Internet upgraded with Hughes Net and a Cisco router which enables internet access by directconnectionorwireless

• Procurement of much needed equipment such as ATV trailer, laptops, and patrol gears

Community Outreach


As part of community outreach, BAS continued topromote partnerships with local tour operators of the nearbybuffercommunitiesofSt.Herman’sBlueHoleNationalPark.InlinewiththeSociety’saimtoprovidesocioeconomicbenefitstobufferzonecommunities,BAS has entered into formal agreements with Belize Inland Tours and Upside Down Tours, supportingthese entities so that they can carry out their toursprofessionally with quality service. These partnerships

have been positive where members of the buffercommunites of SHBHNP appreciate and directly benefitfromprotectedareas.


BAScontinuestolenditssupporttoCTWS.Duringthefloodcrisisin2014,BASwasinstrumentalinprovidingwater transportation to theCTWS.BAS staffworkedtirelessly with the Belize National Coast Guard inprovidingessential transportationservice.Moreover,BAS worked closely with CTWS Village Council in installing signage within the community. BAS was also instrumental in collaborating with the Belize ForestDepartment, Belize Fisheries Department, and Belize PoliceDepartment tohave theannualopendayfishhaul for the community.

Thefishhaulhasbecomeanannualevent.Whenthewaters of the lagoon are receding the BAS assists in the settingupofahaulday.On thisday localfisherfolks can register and get an allocated amount of time to “haul” asmuch fish as they can. The fish isweighed and all data collected goes to BAS research and monitoring unit.


BAScontinuedtoworkwiththefishingcommunitiesof Copper Bank, Chunox, and Sartenja. Throughout 2014, with financial assitance from the NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationandthroughthe Gulf and Caribbean Institute, BAS was able toissue six small grants to fishermen and wives tostart small businesses. Finance was also provided to develop a Reef Protector program for 13 high school students from Copper Bank, Chunox, and Sartenja. The Reef Protector program was designed to build an awareness campaign on career option related tomarineconservationandprotectedareaswithanaimtomitigatethedependencyonfishing.

Inadditiontoworkingwiththefishingcommunities,BAS was able to re-establish the Light House Reef AtollAdvisoryCommittee.TheCommitteecomprisedof stakeholders from the fishing communities,tourism sector, researchers, co-managers, and the key government partners such as the Belize Forest Department, and the Belize Fisheries Department. The Committeeservesasaplatformforlocalcommunities,commercial interest, recreational users, and localand international conservationist, and scientificcommunities to be a part of the Half Moon CayeNatural Monument, Blue Hole Natural Monument


Hon. Min. Lisel Alamilla presents check to BAS on behalf of PACT

Stakeholder consultation for St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park Management Plan


and the greater Lighthouse Reef Atoll management planning.


As part of a management effort to build strongerrelationships and partnerships, BAS now has a staffmember dedicated to community outreach in CBWS buffercommunities.Additionallytohisenvironmentaleducation role, this staff member is working withtwonewcooperatives inSanRomanandSantaRosaVillages. This staff also supports office staff withprojectcomponents,andsettingupofmeetingsintheRed Bank community.

Projects:

St.Herman’sBlueHoleNationalPark

On February 17th, 2014 BAS entered into an agreement withtheProtectedAreasConservationTrust(PACT)tocarryoutaprojectatSt.Herman’sBlueHoleNationalPark (SHBHNP) entitled, “Enhancing St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park through new infrastructure, mapping and management plan.”Themainobjectiveof the project is to improve amenities and guestexperiences at St. Herman’s Blue Hole NationalPark through the improvement and construction ofa spacious visitor centre, expanded parking area, repairsofrailingandswimmingareas,andadditionalenvironmentally friendly bathroom facilities. Also,new protected areas maps are key since it clearly definesboundarylineswhichassistwithmanagementandplanning.Activitiesalreadycompletedunderthisproject include:

• Resurvey and clearing of SHBHNP boundary line

• Expansion of St. Herman’s entrance parking area

• ConstructionofrestroomunitatSt.Herman’sentrance

• Development of Management Plan for SHBHNP (ongoing)


The Belize Audubon Society received a small grant from the United Nations Development Program through

the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries, and Sustainable Developmentfortheprojectentitled:“Improving the daily operations and management of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary”. The project’s core focus was the upgrading of the infrastructure and improving means oftransportation,soastobetteraccommodatevisitorsand users at the site. Activitiescompletedundertheproject include:

• Infrastructural repairs/extension made to the visitor center

• Physical repairs/welding made on the boat

• Purchasing of a new motor cycle for the site

• Mounting 12 signs along the southernboundary and entrance road


The Belize Audubon Society was the recipient of a large grant from theOak Foundation for theprojectentitled: “Safeguarding Biodiversity within the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System”.Theobjectiveofprojectis to safeguard the biodiversity of Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments, two of the sites that make up the World Heritage Composite Site, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.

Theprojectbeganthelastquarterof2013,activitiesto be completed in the life of the project include:

• Revising of Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monuments Management Plan

• ConductaRateradicationorcontrolfeasibilitystudy

• ImplementationofaRateradicationorcontrolprogram

• Installationofmooringanddemarcationbuoyswithin both protected areas

• Constructionofanewvisitorrestroom

• Continuationofkeymarinespeciemonitoring

Belize Audubon Society was able to secure funding from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationthrough the Gulf and Caribbean Institute, and inpartnership with the Belize Fisheries Department for thehostingofaMarineProtectedAreasEnforcement


New signage at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Staff Eluterio Pop partaking in training


training on Half Moon Caye. The training was focused on specializedskillsrequiredbyparkrangersandfisheriesofficers to ensure that the rules and regulations ofmarine protected areas are understood and respected byall.Thetrainingincluded:officer’ssafety,fisheriesregulation,casefilecompilation,mockcourtandcourtprocedures, bends and hitches, navigational rulesand terminologies, position finding and measuringdistances, report writing, boat handling theory andpractical, evidence handling, and chain of custody.Participants were from various Marine ProtectedAreas in Belize (TIDE, BAS, SEA) and the Belize Fisheries Department. Six rangers from neighboring Mexico: BancoChinchoroandXcalak,alsoparticipated inthetraining.


The CBWS project entitled “Enhancing visitor experience and improving management of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary” was funded through the national project UNDP-SNC. The smallproject aimed at upgrading the Cockscomb Basin Widlife Sanctuary (CBWS) in order to enhance the experienceofvisitorswhilegeneratingmore incomefrom this site. Theprojectactivitieswerecompletedunderthefollowingobjectives:

Objective 1:ToimprovecommunicationsatCBWS

Objective 2:To improve visibility and aesthetics ofreceptionarea,whilegeneratingrevenue

Objective 3:To improve visitor’s experience by adding anewactivityalongwithinterpretationalsigns

Over the course of eight (8) months under the three main objectives, communication onsite at CBWSwas improved, infrastrutural upgrades to the office/giftshopwerecompleted,signswereinstalledtocreateawarenessandvisibilityofthesiteandanewactivityofmountainbikingwasintroducedtoofferadditionalservicestovisitors.Overall,eachobjectivewastiedtoincreasingthefinancialsustainabilityofthesite.

Staff Development/Capacity Building

The BAS is committed to our (43) staff membersprofessionaldevelopment,continuouslystrengtheningtheir knowledge and skills set. Staff membersparticipatedinrelevanttrainingtobetterimprovetheirfunctioninmeetingBAS’sobjectivesasaconservationorganization. Staff took advantage of courses and

opportunitiesofferedbothlocallyandinternationallythrough the Society and donors. These include:

• E-Bird Training (GNP/SHBHNP/CTWS/CBWS staff)

• Trail maintenance training facilitated by Brazilian Embassy (all sites)

• RangerExchangeTrainingonfiremanagementhosted by TIDE(SHBHNP/CBWS)

• Birdidentificationtraining(SHBHNP/CBWS)

• Tri-NationalParkRangerWorkshophostedbySelva Maya/GIZ project—Campeche, Mexico (CBWS/SHBHNP)

• Protected Areas Management training—Colorado, USA (Terrestrial Parks Manager)

• Defensivedrivingtraining(mainofficestaff)

• Supervisory Level 2 (Managers—Education/Terrestrial Parks/Marine Parks)

• Project Management Training (Terrestrial Parks Manager)

• Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Internship (HMC/BHNM)

• FisheriesManageAccessToolOrientation(HMC/BHNM)

• SMART Tool Enforcement Training (HMC/BHNM)

• Smith Rock State Park Internship – Oregon (1- HMC/BHNM)

• AdvanceDiveCertification(1-HMC/BHNM)

• Marine Protected Areas Law Enforcement training (HMC/BHNM)

• Sustainable Tourism Development on Island Area – Japan (Manager-HMC/BHNM)

• Study Tour on Sustainable Financing – Brazil (Manager-HMC/BHNM)

• NavigationandGPS(allterrestrialsites)

• Underaprojecttobuildcapacityofstaffwithinthenationalprotectedareassystems,theUB-ERI offered an Environmental Research andMonitoring course April 29-May 7, 2014. Park rangers, Amanda Gillett from St. Herman’sBlueHoleNationalParkandRubilioPopfromCockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, proudly represented the Belize Audubon Society


Trail Maintenance training facilitated by Brazilian Embassy at St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

Field staff participating in First Aid and CPR training at Guanacaste National Park


and successfully completed the course. All participantsweretrained inbasicbiodiversitydata collection and basic statistics forscientific investigation. The practical part ofthe training had participants collecting data(plant and reptile identification) in the fieldand subsequently analysing the raw data. Overall, this helped them to improve their knowledgeonbiodiversitydatacollectionanddata management. Additional training underthis national initiativewas a National RangerTraining course, which was hosted by Ya’axche in conjunction with UB-ERI, a CBWS staffattendedthissession.

• In September 2014, a poisonous snake bite training session was arranged for BAS staffworking at the terrestrial protected areas. Dr. Wayne Warnica, who was the lecturer volunteeredtoofferthetrainingforBASstafffree of cost. The training involved watching a short video, which highlighted how to treat a snake bite victim from the time of bite tohospitalization of the victim. It continuedwithstaff learninghowtomixthetreatment,identifywhereonbodyofthevictimtoinjectthe venom and administer the anti-venom.Staffalsohadtheopportunitytopracticethesesteps. Additional information included “whatto do and what not to do” when in contact withasnakebitevictim.Discussionswerealsoheld on what other measures need to be put in placewhenpatrolsandresearchactivitiesarelonger than three days.

• Two staff from Cockscomb Basin WildlifeSanctuary received basic training in mountain bike safety and guiding techniques. Over the courseofthefivedaystrainingwhichwasofferedbyRodolfoSaenzdeUgarte,staffparticipatedinboththeoryandpracticalsessions.Thisideacame about after BAS designated one of thetrails at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary to beamountainbiketrailwhichisanewactivitythatwillbeofferedonsite.Someofwhattheylearnt include differentiating between typesof bikes and what is appropriate to use onsite; assessing all equipment and safety gears, stretchesbeforeandafter the ride, assessingthe experience of visitors who do the tour, safe

navigationonthetrailandguidingtechniquesif they are to ever lead a group of riders with differentlevelsofbikingexperience.

Challenges:

Throughout the 2014 calendar year each site faced its own challenges. Cayo Parks’ largest challenge was illegalloggingactivityandtrespassing.CrookedTreefacedbothnaturalandanthropogenicdifficultieswithillegalfishing,hunting,harvestingoflogwood,inadditiontoafloodphenomenathatlastedfromOctober 2013 to mid-March 2014. Cockscomb, similar to Crooked Tree, experienced excess rain andlocalizedfloodingthatleadtoadeteriorationof access road and trails, increasing the site maintenance needs.

The marine protected area had to content with the harsh salt environment, which continuouslydeterioratesBASequipment.Inaddition,unpredictableweather patterns such as rain, strong winds, andstormscontinuetoaffectthesites’operationsuchasvisitation,enforcement,andresearchandmonitoring.Moreover, in 2014 stakeholders has reported an increase in illicit activities; drugs, illegal fishing, andproperty theft within Lighhouse Reef Atoll. Theseincreaseofillicitactivitiesalsoraiseconcernsofsafetyand security of life.

Despite these challenges BAS employees continuesthier work in ensuring that the mandate of conservation and protected areas management ismet.Thestaffisnotdeterredfromcarryingouttheirgreat and important work, to conserve Belize’s natural resources. BAS will continue to seek practical andeffectivestrategiestomitigatethesechallengesintheupcoming year.


David Buck of Biodiversity Research Instituteand Judy Chupasko of Harvard Museum of ComparativeZoologyworkedtogethertocollectvoucher specimens for the museum.

Specimens collected from CTWS


BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH AND MONITORINGStaff Composition:

Conservation Programme Director: Dominique Lizama

Conservation Officer (Marine Biology/Geographic Information System (GIS): Eli Romero

Theprotectedareascontinuetoserveaskeysites for biodiversity research and monitoring. The Forest and Fisheries Departments were integral in reviewing proposals and grantingthe necessary scientific research permits foreach research team. It is important to note thatnotallresearchproposalssubmittedwereendorsed by BAS. Those key research and monitoringactivitiesthatwereendorsedandsupported in 2014 are listed below.

Terrestrial


StaffcontinuedrecordingYellow-headedParrot(Amazona oratrix) (YHP) sightings in 2014within the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. CTWSfield staff scouted thenorthernendof the protected area and the cashew orchards. Between February to April, 184 YHPwere recorded.BAShas joinedeffortswith other partners in Belize to establish an Amazona oratrix Working group who will develop a monitoring programme and institute consistentmonitoring of thisendangered species across Belize.

The Central American Waterbird Census was heldJuly21stto26thfortheentireCTWS.Sixsites were selected which represented the different ecosystems of CTWS. Birder RoniMartinezwashired toassist staffofCTWSand together they executed the census by foot and vehicle. In the end, 32 species were recorded totaling 3,245 individuals. This informationwascompiledandsubmittedtoBirdLifeInternational.

Bill Hilton returned to Belize in 2014 for the sixth consecutive year to continue hisstudies on the Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) in CTWS. A total of 32 Ruby-throated hummingbirds (RTHU) werecapturedandbanded.Otherexcitingbirds seen included the recapturing of a Yellow-breasted Chat first banded in 2011as a second year bird making it the team’s oldest banded bird in Belize as well as six Neotropical migrants banded in previous years. To date, 356 RTHU have been banded in Belize by this team.

Read more at http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek140307.html

David Buck of Biodiversity Research Instituteand Judy Chupasko of Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology worked together tocollect voucher specimens for the museum. The team did a full walk through of the entireprocess(datacollectiontospecimenpreparation)toourstaffandhadaUniversityof Belize student, Denver Cayetano working with them for training and exposure. The Forest and Fisheries Departments each granted the export permits for specimens taken. These included opossum, rats, tamandua, basalik lizard and various species of bats as well as several fresh water species includingfishes,mussels,crabsandsnails.


The University of Belize’s Environmental ResearchInstitute(UB-ERI)fundedbyPantheracontinued their jaguar researchat theCBWSin 2014. They expanded their research methodologies to include trapping in hopes of putting GPS collars on captured jaguarsand pumas. Unfortunately, they had two unsuccessful trapping seasons as no jaguars or pumas were caught in the snares. However, jaguars,pumasandotherwildlifecontinuedtobe seen on the camera traps that are deployed at various locations throughout CockscombBasin. The team has also expressed interest in starting2015totrappreyspeciessuchasthearmadillos, white lipped peccary and pacas. (Harmsen, B.-Progress Report 2014)


Derick Hendy in search of Jabiru Nest


In July 2014, Dr. John Shuey of The Nature Conservancy (Indiana office) and his co-researcher, Paul Labus returned to Belize to carry out their research on “Insect communities of Belize-Assessment of selected families of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera at Cockscomb Basin and Colombia Forest Reserve”.Additionalsamplesiteswereaddedtofurtherassessdifferenthabitat types throughout Belize which builds on10 yearsof fieldwork acrossBelize andaugmentsworkdoneonbutterfliesinBelizeby Jan Meerman. One site of interest to BAS was the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary because of its wetland ecosystem. The data will be made available to the public on the Biodiversity & Environmental Resource Data System (BERDS) website.

BAS has partnered and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst on a three yearproject. The first phase of data collectiontook place from January 7th through April 6th 2014. This project identified indicatorspecies while developing an “Index of Ecological Integrity” using birds as indicators. These tools can then be used to establish baselineconditionsofecologicalintegrityforprotected areas and to gauge changes over time or in response to specific influences,natural or anthropogenic. It also evaluated habitat use by migrants such as the Wood Thrush and Golden-winged warbler. Initialanalysis of vegetation revealed significantdifferences in capture rates by ecosystem,elevation, and Vegetation Index. Thesepreliminary data reinforce the fact that CBWSisavaluablesiteforbirds,particularlyWood Thrush and habitat conditions canpotentiallybepromotedthroughimprovedmanagement to enhance habitat quality for Wood Thrush and other forest birds. Finally, the high numbers of Wood Thrush encountered suggests CBWS is a premier site for the conservation of this decliningpriority species (Bailey, B.-Final Report Yr 1, 2014).

The Forest Department partnered with BAS

to establish two permanent sample plots in CBWS for long-term monitoring of the forest as part of the expansion of the Belize Forest Monitoring Network FORMNET-B (Cho et al. 2013). The objective was tosample the forest at the level of a hectare to obtain data on forest types not yet represented in FORMNET-B. The permanent sample plots will aid in investigating thedynamics of these forest types and their contribution to the overall carbon budgetof Belize’s forests. There was low stocking of trees, which is atypical of a disturbed site noting an almost absence of trees above60 cmDBH, suggesting the forestwas notvery old. Overall, the permanent sample plot revealed that the forest in the general locality is both relatively species poor andlow in biomass stocking, indicating that itis also low in productivity and/or young.However, this was only results from one plot and cannot be taken to represent the entireCockscombBasin(Cho,P.2014).BASis expected to continue with the annualmonitoring of these two PSPs. In additionto establishing the plots, Forest Department conducted a rosewood inventory within the CBWSasapartoftheirnationalassessment.FD provided the training, materials and personneltoassisttheBASstaffincarryingoutthedatacollection.

Site specific bird monitoring activities

Staff at CBWS, CTWS and SHBHNP continuedto monitor birds using the point count methodology and entered all sightings intothe eBird database. To complement the monitoringefforts, trainingwasorganized forstaffto improvetheirbird identification,datacollectionandreportingskills.Themonitoringstations/points at each site were assessedand changed where necessary to maximize monitoring efforts. Guanacaste and HalfMoon Caye will begin monthly bird monitoring in2015.Additional informationcanbe foundontheeBirddatabaseofeachrespectivesiteincluding identifying migrants vs. residents,most abundant species seen, and number of individuals among others.


StaffconductingBirdMonitoringatStHerman’sBlueHoleNationalPark

Junior Bird Club members observe Ruby-thorated Hummingbird banding at CTWS

LittoralForestofHalfMoonCaye


• CTWS: 139 species totaling 7,721 individuals. The species with the highest count recorded were Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Wood Stork, Neotropic Cormorant and Great Egret. August had the highest recording of individuals seen which coincides with low water levels in thelagoonattractinglargecongregationsof water birds.

• CBWS: 184 species totaling 9,866 individuals. The species with the highest count recorded were Olive-throated Parakeet, Gray Catbird, Variable Seedeater, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, White-collared Manakin and Spot-breasted Wren. December had the highest recording of individuals seen which coincides with peak wintering season.

• SHBHNP: 187 species totaling 2,439 individuals. The species with the highest count recorded were Short-billed Pigeon, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, White-crowned Parrot, Dot-winged Antwren, Spot-breasted Wren and White-breasted Wood Wren. September had the highest recording of individuals seen which coincides with the wintering migrationseason.

General Bird monitoring activities

BAScoordinatedtwomajorcitizensciencebirdingactivitiesthisyear,whichinvolvedamixofbirdexperts/scientistsandlaypeople/non-scientistswithaninteresttoseeandlearn about birds.

• The Urban Bird Watch was held on the Sundays during the months of October andNovemberinthefivemajorurbanareasofBelize.Intotalacrossthefivelocalities(OrangeWalk,BelizeCity,Benque, Punta Gorda and Dangriga), seventyindividualsparticipatedandcounted over 300 species of birds.

• The Christmas Bird Count coordinated by BAS was held in three “count circles”, namely Belize District,

Belmopan and Cockscomb Basin.

Marine

Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monument

Ongoing research and monitoring program of key marine species within Lighthouse Reef Atoll (LHRA) which includes HMCNM and BHNM:

• Nassaugrouperspawningandaggregation

• Sea grass health

• Conch density survey

• Lobster density survey

• Coral bleaching assessment

• White-phase Red Footed Booby Bird count

• SeaturtlenestingactivityonHalfmoonCaye and Sandbore Caye

• Annual migratory bird count

• Strategic removal of coconut palms and seedlingswithinthelittoralforest

Of all the monitoring that occurs in LHRA, this report will highlight only some of the monitoring results from HMC in 2014. Once again the annual conch survey results for the Lighthouse Reef Atoll showed that when comparing the protected and non protected sites, there was significantly more conchoutside of the protected area, which is likely because majority of the sampling sites are located outside the protected area boundaries (15 outside and 6 inside protected area). 2014 data showed that therewas significantly lessconch; a higher juvenile to adult ratio; and adecreased average shell length between 13-15cm (less than the legal size) at majority of the sampling sites this year when compared to 2013. However, the data shows that the adults found within the LHRA are larger and more mature, having thicker lips. Strombus gigas was noted as being more abundant than Strombus costatus over the five month monitoringperiod, with the data showing 5,112 and 222 individualsforeachspecies,respectively.


Site Manager receiving Marine Protected Areas Law Enforcement training (HMC & BHNM)certificate

ConservationOfficer--MarineBiology/GISconductingSPAGSmonitoring at HMCNM


TheannualdatacollectionofNassaugroupersatthespawningaggregationsitewithinLHRAover the three month period (January to March) was supported by enforcement from the relevant agencies and rangers. The SPAGS site within LHRA (Sandbore) has consistently had enforcement presence and as such has shown constant or increasing trends in fishabundance over the years. In 2014, this site showed close to 3,000 individuals surpassing all other SPAG sites by an estimated 1,000fishes.

The data from the 21 sampling sites for lobster showed that majority of lobsters recorded were within the protected area-specificallyHMC vs. BH; there were more males (28) than females (15) and the sex for 11 could not be identified; there were more adults(37) than juveniles (17) and the adults were all of the upper size class (legal). Weather conditions(roughseas)mayhavecontributedtothisyear’ssignificantlylowobservationsoflobsters.

ThesamplingmethodologyforestimatingtheBoobyBirdpopulationonHMCwasrevisedtobemore efficient. The estimatedpopulationshowed close to the same numbers as previous years with close to 4,000 individuals that call the littoral forest on HMC home. This yearalso marked the first year that staff startedto monitor the Frigate Bird population; theestimatedpopulationwas1,337birds.

Since 2008 BAS has been documenting theturtlenestingprogressonHMCforevidenceof Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Green turtles. In subsequent years, the monitoring programme was expanded to other islands within the LHRA. The results for 2014, showed a very slow start with only a few nests being recorded and many false nests seen on HMC and Sandbore, indicating that theenvironmental conditions(eg. May to August had very strong southeast winds that dramatically changed/erodedmuch of the nesting grounds) were notsuitablefornesting.Attheendofthenestingseason, it was noted that from the many false crawls,turtlesarestillvisitingthebeaches,butunsuitablenestinggroundsmayhaveresultedin fewer nests when compared to 2013. HMC hadonly11nestswithanestimated138eggs

and 115 hatchlings, while Sandbore Caye had 4nestswithanestimated128eggsand113hatchlings. Of the three known species, Green and Hawksbill turtles were more abundant having higher totals for the number of eggs and hatchlings.

Sea grass beds in LHRA are abundant with the most dominant species being turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum).Each monitoring site constitutes three 50 meters transects thathave been permanently marked with iron pins embedded in the sea grass meadow. The sitesaremonitoredfourtimesayearfortotalpercent cover, species percent cover, canopy height, gracing evidence, and presence of flowerorfruitcountbyspecies.However,thisinformationisonlyfromtwosites.

StaffmonitoredcoralbleachinginSeptember,October and November/December at 6 sites. Inthefirstsamplingperiod,verylittlesignsofbleaching were evident within the sites, but during the second sampling period, there was asignificantincreaseinbleaching.Comparingthe three sampling periods, there was a significantdecline inbleachedcoral coloniesbetween October and November/December samplingperiod.Thiswasmuchbetterwhencomparing the September to the October sampling when there was a 20% increase in bleached coral colonies across 4 out of the 6 sites. Overall across all sites, there was not a significantincreaseinbleachingasexpected,basedonregionalpredictionsbyNOAA.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

BAS has obtained a perpetual GIS license from international partnerNational AudubonSociety. Having the license and software, theConservationOfficerhasbeenabletoproducemaps to mark the marine monitoring sites within the Lighthouse Reef Atoll for turtle nesting, fish abundance and coral cover,bird monitoring points, trail system, illegal incursions and boundary lines within the protected areas and enforcement “hotspots”.


StaffandLightHawkpilotafterFlight over

Conservation Officer-Marine Biology/GISparticipationintheCentralAmericanWaterbirdCensus Training in El Salvador


Capacity Building

Inanefforttostrengthenhumanresourcescapacityandskill,staffmembersoftheProtectedAreasactivelyparticipatedinthefollowingtrainings:

Conservation Programme staff trainings/meetings

Conservation Programme Director’sparticipation in the IV MesoamericanProtected Areas Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica March 17th to 22nd.

Conservation Officer’s participation in theCentral American Water Bird Census training held in San Salvador, El Salvador March 17th to 21st to learn how to set up a national aquatic bird monitoring programcomparable to those being done across Central America and to standardize the methodology across the region.

Conservation Programme Director’sparticipation in the BirdLife AmericasPartnership Meeting in Quito, EcuadorNovember 27th to 30th to understand the structure of BirdLife, identifying gaps andcommon projects regional partners can work on and where BAS programmes can be merged with those of BirdLife.

The Conservation Officer presented at theUniversity of Belize’s 8th NRM Symposium March 26th focusing on coral health at Lighthouse Reef Atoll in relation totemperature.

The Conservation Officer participated in theGeographic Information System (GIS)-Hydrological Modeling Workshop August 14th and 15th offered by the University ofBelize focusing on using available data (ArcGIS Shapefiles) to model present andfuture changes related to hydrological conditions.

CBWS staff participated in the PermanentSample Plots & Rosewood Inventory training provided by Forest Department.

Networking

The Conservation Programme Director, theProtectedAreasManagers and thefield staffall play integral roles in networking both locally and internationally. As a result of partakingin meetings or being the BAS representativefor various committees, BAS has been ableto foster and strengthen partnerships in conservation with University of Belize-EnvironmentalResearchInstitute,BelizeForestDepartment and Belize Fisheries Department. The Conservation Programme staff alsoparticipated in severalNationalDevelopmentmeetingsandworkshopsincluding:

• NationalHicateeConservationMonitoring Network

• NationalBiodiversityMonitoringProgramme

• NationalResearchAgenda

• Amazona oratrix Working Group

• Managed Access Working Group

Special Events

Once again, LightHawk provided flights overall the BAS co-managed protected areas. The donated flights organized by LightHawk havegiven staff, partners and colleagues of BelizeAudubon Society the unique perspectiveof flight to effect change in managementactions, foster conservation and create abetter understanding of protected areasmanagement. Majority of the forests within the protected areas were intact with no signs of encroachment. There were however, signs of illegal encroachment and clearing for development in adjacent protected areas and private lands.


Summer camp at St. Herman’s Blue Hole NationalPark


Environmental Education and Communications EnvironmentalEducationandCommunicationsatBASinvolvesreachingacrosssectionofpeopleacrossdiverse audiences and age groups. Our approach continuestoincorporatebothformalandnon-formalactivitiescraftedtomeettheneedsofourdiverseBelizeancitizenry,membersandsupporters,both

local and foreign. Staff Composition:

• Environmental Education and Communications Director: Dareece Chuc

• Education Officer: Varsha Clark

• Community Liaison Manager: Lucito Ayuso

• Publicity/Media Coordinator: Dirk Francisco

Formal and Non-formal Environmental Education:

Ourprimaryschoolprogramcontinuedtobesuccessfulin 2014 with 21 classroom presentations conductedresultinginapproximately2,506studentsfromacrossthe country becoming more aware of the work of BAS and educated on topics such as Protected Areas, EcosystemsandBirds. Theenvironmentaleducationteam also participated in 6 high school career daypresentationsand2sciencefairs.

The Nature School program complements the classroom presentations as it assists hundreds ofschoolchildrenmakethatcriticalconnectionbetweenhumanhealthandwellbeingand theprotectionandwise use of natural resources. Our four nature centers saw approximately 5,242 primary and secondary schoolstudents,withSt.Herman’sBlueHoleNationalPark(SHBHNP)accommodating52%ofthetotalschoolchildren.

Figure 1: Number of students who participated in Nature School by site

Summer Program:

Summer is a funtime since youget tobeoutdoors.Our summer program does exactly that, it incorporates nature exploration to create newfound appreciationfor the environment. Our fun filled and excitingactivitiesmakelearningaboutnaturefun.Fivenature-based camps were successfully implemented. They included: the ever popular Nature Photography for Kids, Jungle and Cave day camp at SHBHNP, Movie Night (in collaborationwith theRadissonHotel’sVIKprogram), Exploring Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole family day, and the Birds of a Feather Flock Together camp.

InadditiontotheBASplannedcamps,BASstaffassistedthe Belize Defense Force in facilitation of two BirdCamp sessions under their summer camp program.

Special Events for 2014:

World Wetlands Day - February 2nd

World Wetlands Day 2014 was celebrated under the theme: “Agriculture and Wetlands: Partners in Growth”. The annual celebration was held with theupper division students of Crooked Tree Government School. BAS partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture toconductaschoolpresentationattheCrookedTreeGovernment School. Approximately 50 students from Standards IV, V and VI along with three teachers participated. The District Agriculture Coordinator(DAC) presentation highlighted the importanceof agricultural best practices in supporting theirlivelihoods in a sustainable manner bearing in mind themillenniumgoalsoferadicatingextremepovertyand hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability. Inaddition,theDACpointedoutthatcertainhumanactivity can impact and put the world’s ecosystemsat risk. BAS took the opportunity to give the students and teachers a brief history of World Wetlands Day and highlighted the importance of the wetlands by showing aerial photographs of the CTWS wetlands.


WorldWetlands Day presentation at CrookedTree Government School

UrbanBirdingParticipants


Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day 2014, several activitieswere carried out targeting buffer communities andthe general public. A mini campaign to increase awarenessandappreciationofprotectedareasandtheenvironment started on April 7th culminating inMay.The campaign targeted standard III and IV students from four primary schools buffering the CockscombBasin Wildlife Sanctuary, St. Herman’s Blue Hole and GuanacasteNationalParks.Thechildrenwereengagedthrough classroom presentations on the topic: “Myprotectedarea”,highlightingtheroleofyoungpeoplein conservation. Through the campaign, studentswereencouragedtopracticewastereducingactivitiesandallfourschoolsparticipatedina“cleanupday”intheir respective communities. To further encourageappreciation of the value of protected areas, thechildrenweretakenonafieldtriptoSt.Herman’sBlueHoleandGuanacasteNationalParkswheretheyspentthe day learning by exploring the wonders of the cave and forest ecosystem. A total of 386 students and 10teachersparticipatedintheactivitiestocelebrateprotected areas and their contribution to ourlivelihoods inBelize.Theschools thatparticipated inthe mini campaign were Raymond Sheppard Nazarene SchoolandOurLadyofFatimaRCschoolsofRoaringCreek Village, Armenia Government School and United Primary School in Santa Rosa.

Some other highlights of Earth Day 2014 include:

• On Earth Day April 22nd, 2014, the Belize City Mayor planted a Mahogany tree with BAS ExecutiveDirectorattheBattleFieldPark.ThissymbolicplantingwasdoneasagestureofcontinuedpartnershipbetweentheBelizeCityCouncilandtheconservationcommunity.

• Presentationandoutreachto4-HSchoolonthetopicofProtectedAreas;plantingofmahoganytreesbythestudentsintheirschoolyardafterthepresentation.

• Movie Night was held at Memorial Park on April 12th, 2014. The Documentary called “Bag it” was screened. The documentary was about plastics and the effects of plastic on humanand ecosystems health.

• 100 mahogany trees were purchased and distributed to schools, environmental groups and the general public during the month of AprilincelebrationofEarthDay.

World Environment Day

In 2014 we saw the successful reviving of the “Walk for a Green Belize” clean-up campaign, which took place June 7th in celebration of World EnvironmentDay. Partnering with Department of Environment and SolidWasteAuthorityrenderedatotalofparticipating20organizationsandgroups.BASstaffandvolunteersparticipatedbycleaningmile48to49ontheGeorgePriceHighway.Aftergoingdormantfortwoyearstheestimatednumberswereimpressive.Thetotalnumberof individuals that participated is estimated at 250,whiletheamountofgarbagecollectedisestimatedata net weight of 2,830kg or 6,226 pounds.

Urban Birding

TheUrban BirdWatch is an outdoor birding activitythat was started by the Belize Audubon Society in 2009.Theactivitywasdesignedtosoftlyintroducebirdconservation and the importance of winter groundsto non-birders in Belize. It’s a great opportunity to see urban centers from a new perspective and it isideal for novice birders who have no intention oftrekking through the forest to understand the unique relationshipbetweenbirdsandtheirhabitat.

In planning the 6th annual Urban Bird Watch, we set out to reach four urban centers in the month of October. Soonafter,theannouncementoftheurbanbirdwatchschedule; BAS was flooded by requests from birdenthusiastsacrossthecountry.Theywereinvestigatingwhy their town was not selected for Urban Birding then they graciously invited us to bring Urban Bird watch to their town. This great show of excitement towards birding has resulted in an extension into November andmadeusrethinkourstrategy.OvertimetheUrbanBird Watch has achieved what we designed it for, “to get people excited about birds!” For the year 2014, volunteershaveassisted in coordinatingand leadingurban bird watches in Caye Caulker, San Pedro, Corozal, andSanIgnaciotowns, inadditiontothefoururbanareas (Orange Walk, Benque Viejo, Dangriga and Punta Gorda) originally planned.


Reef Protectors and Blue Ventures volunteers at BacalarChicoMarineReserveandNationalPark

Community Liaison Manager conductingcapacity building training in San Roman Village


Community Outreach Program

As we worked throughout 2014, our efforts wereguidedbyonemainprinciple: conservationcanonlybe successful through collaboration between BAS,buffercommunitiesandotherpartners.Togetherwecan make the change we want and have a greater impact on society. The community outreach program made significant strides in both strengtheningexisting partnerships and creating new ones in2014. Community based projects were successfully implemented in five buffer communities, namelySanta Rosa and San Roman, Sarteneja, Chunox and Copper Bank.

Projects

Northern Buffer Communities of Half Moon Caye/Blue Hole Natural Monuments

ForthepasttwoyearstheBAShasbeencollaboratingwiththeGulfandCaribbeanFisheriesInstitute(GCFI)inaprojectfundedbyNOAA’sCRCPInternationalCoralReef Conservation Cooperative Agreements, Wider CaribbeanRegion.Theprojectentitled“Implementing Management Capacity Building in the Mesoamerican Reef MPA Community”wasamulti-stakeholder,multi-countryinitiative.Theprojectgoalwastobuildcapacityforeffectiveimplementationofmarineprotectedareas(MPAs) in theMesoamericanReef (MAR).Objectivesfor each site were to improve the tiered ranking ofcapacity in at least one priority management capacity needsasidentifiedintheCaribbeanMPAManagementCapacity Assessment (CMMCA). The MPAs of the MAR share particular needs for capacity building that theproject will address: socio-economic monitoring, the development of alternative livelihoods and fisheriesmanagement. There are also site-specific needs forsustainablefinancingandoutreachandeducation.

Belize Audubon Society’s role/task for year 1 and year 2:

• Task 1 (2013): Belize Audubon will host a Socio-economic training workshop offered tothenineMARsitesonthe implementationofsocio-economic monitoring for MPA

• Task 2 (2014): Project 4.Socio-economic assessment

Project 5.Reef Protector

Project 6.Small Business Micro-grants

Socio-economic Assessment: Through the project BAS received the necessary training in 2013 to carry out the assessment.However,wereceivedadditionalsupportfrom Flora and Fauna International to carry out theactivity inApril.Thesocioeconomicsurveys focusedon fisher folks in the communities of Copper Bank,Chunox, and Belize City. Results of the assessment will be considered for inclusion in the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments management plan.

Reef Protector: For over three decades BAS has actively promoted learning through experience. Wefirmlybelieve that throughmeaningfulnature-basedexperiences, young people develop an appreciationfor the environment. The opportunity to work with youths fromfishing familieswasnotanewstrategy,but rather a necessary one that requires continuityto yield results – reducing dependency on marine resourcesandsupportforconservation.Throughthereef protector program, the thirteen young people were given the opportunity to visit three of Belize’s mostpristineandimportantmarineprotectedareas.It is hoped that through this experience the students will develop a sense of responsibility for marine conservationand further share their knowledgeandexperience with family and friends.

An important component of the program was giving the students the opportunity to interact with professionals inthefieldofconservation.Thepersonalstoriesandpassion shared by some of Belize’s most dedicated professionals, no doubt served as inspiration to thestudents.Someofthepassionateconservationistswhogavetimetospeakandinteractwiththereefprotectorswere:EliRomero,BAS’ConservationOfficer—Marine/GIS; Celso Sho, BAS’ Assistant Site Manager and past Marine Research Assistant; Kiera Foreman, Hol Chan Marine Reserve’s Marine Biologist; Henry Brown, Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve and National ParkMarine Biologist; Hilmar Salazar, Community Field OfficerandDr.RachelGraham,ExecutiveDirectorofMarAlliance; and Joel Verde, Executive Director ofSartenejaAllianceforConservationandDevelopment(SACD).

Small Business Micro-Grants: Six micro grants ($1,400 each)wereissuedtopromotesustainablealternativelivelihoods to deserving community members in Copper Bank (1), Chunox (1) and Sarteneja (4). The micro grants were used to finance a snack shop,outboard engine repair mechanic tools, small scale piggeryandpastryshop.Allbeneficiariesofthemicrograntprogramwherefromfishingfamilies.


Santa Rosa and San Roman community members participatinginrecordkeepingtraining

Women of Santa Rosa Development Cooperative practicing farming techniques


Southern Buffer Communities of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

In late 2013, BAS was the recipient of funding from GEF-SGP for the project “Protecting and sustaining the Biodiversity Resources of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary through the Promotion of Environmentally Friendly Sustainable Supplementary Livelihoods.” The twenty one (21) month project aims at improving thesustainabilityofCBWSthroughthepromotionofsustainable livelihoods, an environmental stewardship program and monitoring incursion trends. The followingactivitiesweresuccessfullycompleted:

Socio economic assessments were conducted in seven buffer communities of CBWS (MayaCenter, Maya Mopan, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Roman, Red Bank and San Pablo)

Capacity building in organizationaldevelopment, chicken rearing, agro-processing and cooperative development for twocommunities’groups

Two cooperatives established after 6monthsof training andmentoring in two beneficiarycommunities implementing sustainablealternativelivelihoodprojects

Field trips to CBWS in order to create appreciationandawareness

Adult education programs: Promotingenvironmental stewardship principles targeting members of Santa Rosa and SanRomancommunities–To increaseawarenessof the importance of protected areas and build familiarity with local protected area (special attentiongiventoCBWS)–Togenerateasenseofresponsibilityfornaturalresourceprotectionamongparticipants

10 successful joint enforcement patrols in strategic hotspots of CBWS conducted

Part of the success of this project has been BAS’ ability to get support and work closely with our partners like the Belize Forest Department, Belize Defense Force (BDF), Special Patrol Unit (SPU) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture through its DepartmentofCooperativesandAgriculture.

Strategic communication:

Communicatingwhoweare,whatwedo,ourideasand accomplishments was more organized this year as we used several media to reach the diverse Belizean audience.

The popularity of Facebook has made it a popular toolforinformationsharing.It’susefultosharequickimages of BAS at work. The demographics of Facebook show that BAS followers are largely between the ages of 18-50, giving us the opportunity to reach that sector of our population. It has increasingly becomea toolto share our stories and events. Presently, the BAS Facebook page has over 3,100 “likes”.

Inanattemptto“gogreen”andreducepaperusagemembers now receive all updates via electronic mail. Theuseofinternetbasedsoftware“ConstantContact”has improved our ability to provide timely updates.The monthly electronic news, “Latest News” serves to keepmembersinformedofcurrentactivities,workofthe Society, project, and special events. Our goal is to keep an informed membership base, which hopefully leadstomoresupportandappreciation.

Other forms of communications used throughoutthe year included: Press Releases, Media Stories, and media appearances (talk shows both TV and Radio) which gave us a national reach. For those seekinginformation via theWorldWideWeb we revampedourwebsite;thenewsitewaslaunchedintimefortheNew Year 2015.

Volunteers and Interns:

We can never stress how important it is to engage youngBelizeansinconservationwork.Wehavealonghistory of volunteerism and interns. For 2014, we had numerous interns these included: two (2) University of Belize Natural Resource Management student interns – conducted six weeks internships to meet requirements for graduation. These interns assisted with turtlemonitoring and research at HMC. Later in the year one UB Tourism Management intern- completed a three weeks internship and assisted with carrying out socio-economicsurveysinbuffercommunitiesofHMCandBH. Inaddition to theUB interns,oneBelizeanand foreign volunteer assisted with data entry and bird monitoring data analysis and sea turtle monitoring andotherrangerdutiesatHMC.

One student from the University of Bradies, USA is currently conducting a 6 months internship. Thisintern is presently tasked with conducting a studyof community engagement strategies being used on Belize by various CBOs, NGO’s and Civil Society Organizations.


Mr.LascelleTillett Mr. Rudi Burgos

Mr. Mike Heusner Dr. Judy Lumb


MembershipThe Belize Audubon Society is a non-governmental, membership-based organization dedicated to thesustainable management of our natural resources through leadership and strategic partnerships with stakeholders for the benefit of people and theenvironment. We cannot take credit and list our achievements for 2014 without saying thank you to our devoted members.

AsofDecember2014, themembershipdata reflects216 active members. In 2015 and beyond we willcontinue to engage current members and activelyrecruit new members, who are pivotal to our mission. We invite our members to spread the word and assist withrecruitingnewandvibrantfamilyandfriendstojoin the Belize Audubon Society.

James A. Waight Award/Ceremony

Sunday, February 16th, 2014 the Belize Audubon Society (BAS) had an unprecedented awarding of the James A. Waight award ceremonies at the BAS headquarters on 16 North Park Street.

TwolifetimeawardeesandfoundingmembersoftheBelizeAudubonSocietywererecognizedforselflesslydedicatingdecadesofworktoconservationinBelize.Mrs. Lydia Waight was the Society’s first Secretary,serving in post for 27 years and faithfully producing

theBelizeAudubonNewsletter.Hermeticulousrecordkeeping,lobbyingeffortsandvolunteering,serveasaguiding example to the conservation community inBelize.

Mrs. Alice M. (Meg) Craig served as Vice President and a member of the Cockscomb and EducationCommittees in the seventies and late eighties. Shecontinuedtovolunteerbyparticipatinginannualbirdcountsandenvironmentaleducationactivities,sharingherextensiverarecollectionsandresearchwithmany.Mrs. Craig’s involvement with BAS was only a part of the volumeofwork she has and continues to do topreserve Belize’s environment, natural history and culture.

Inadditiontothelifetimeawardees,fourpersonswereacknowledged for outstanding work in conservationand their contribution to the legacy of James A.Waight.Mr.MikeHeusner,Mr.LascelleTillettandMr.RudiBurgoshaveforovertwodecadesandcontinuetoservetheSocietyinanumberofcapacities,allavidbirders; they are members of the Belize Audubon Society and have served on the Board of Directors, clocking countless volunteer hours and resources to conservation. Author and publisher, Dr. Judy Lumb assisted with the layout of the Belize Audubon NewsletterfortwodecadesandservedontheBoardof Directors for six years.

Mrs.Castillorecievingawardon behalf of Alice Meg Craig

Mrs. Delmargo receiving award on be-half of Lydia Waight


ExcitedmembersgettingreadyforrivertubingatCockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Members being welcomed to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary by Fedrito Villanueva


Annual General MeetingBelize Audubon Society hosted its 45th Annual GeneralMeeting(AGM)onSaturdayMay31st, 2014 at the Radisson Fort George Hotel with membersattendingfromacrossBelizetoshareintheachievementsoftheorganizationfortheyear 2013 and to elect members of the Board. A substantiveitemofthemeetingwasreviewingproposed amendments to the Articles ofAssociationandMemorandumofArticles.AnExtraordinary General Meeting followed inJune2014toreconfirmthemembersdesiretodo so.

The elected Board of Directors of the Belize Audubon Society for the year 2014 - 2015 are: Earl Green, President; Mike Heusner, 1st Vice President; Carlos Matus, 2nd Vice President; Simon Reardon Smith, Treasurer; Linda Searle, 1st Secretary; Judy Lumb, 2nd Secretary; LascelleTillett,Director;RudiBurgos,Director;Lisa Zayden, Director; Carlton Young, Director; Anicasio Garcia, Director; Julie Robinson, Director; and Ernest Raymond Sr., Director.

BAS Board Members 2014


FINANCIAL CHARTS 2014

59.27%16.25%

6.93%

17.55%

Year 2014 Expenditures

Protected Areas Management

Environmental Education & Communications

Biodiversity Research and Monitoring

Administration

The charts presented below are a summary of the income and expenditures, along withthevisitationstatisticsfor2014.Formore details the Audited Financial report canbefoundbyvisitingourwebsiteat:

www.belizeaudubon.org


02000400060008000

10000120001400016000

# of

Vis

itors

Protected Areas

Visitation at BAS Co-managed Parks 2014

Local Foreign

64.35%

17.56%

1.55%

0.36%

0.41% 15.77% Entrance Fees

Grant Support

Membership Dues

Contributions

Interest Income

Other Income Generating Activities

Year 2014 Support and Revenue


Solid Waste Management & Authority and Belize Red Cross staff at the Walk for a Green Belize Cleanup activity

Belize National Coast Guard posing for a picture as they participate int he Walk for a Green Belize Clean-


THANKS!!!We take this opportunity to acknowledgetheentitiesthatwithouttheirsupportoureffortswould not be as successful. Networking Entities:

• SpawningAggregationNetwork

• Coral Network

• Turtle Network

• GloversReefAdvisoryCommittee

• DebtforNatureSwapOversightCommittee

• Managed Access Working Group

Partners:

• Belize Fisheries Department

• Belize Forest Department

• BelizeNationalCoastGuard

• Belize Tourism Police Unit

• Belize Tourism Board

• Belize Port Authority

• Department of Environment

• Solid Waste Management & Authority

• ChunoxFishermenAssociation

• InstituteofArchaeology

• Special Patrol Unit

• Belize Defence Force

• Belize Police Department—various regional branches

• BelizeNationalFireService

• Ya’axcheConservationTrust

• Univerity of Belize-Environmemtal Research Institute

• Oceana Belize

• MarAlliance

• Belize City Council

• Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation andDevelopment (SACD)

• Crooked Tree Village Council and Government School

• Buffer communities of BAS co-managedProtected Areas

• Special Friends of the Society—Mr. Rand Taylor and PERT of Placencia

Donors:

• National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministrationviaGulfandCaribbeanFisheriesInstitute

• Belize Disaster and Rescue Response Team

• NationalAudubonSociety

• Inter- American Development Bank-MIF

• ProtectedAreasConservationTrust

• OAKFoundation

• LightHawk

• Global Environment Facility-Small Grants Programme

• UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme

• Selva Maya Project - GIZ

• Brazilian Embassy

• WWF-- EFN Scholarship

• JICA-JapanInternationalCooperationAgency

Trainers who donated time:

• Dr. Wayne Warnica

• Rodolfo Saenz de Ugarte


Belize Audubon Society16 North Park Street, P.O. Box 1001

Belize City, BelizeE-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.belizeaudubon.orgTel: 501-223-5004/4988/4987

Fax: 501-223-4985

2014 belize audubon society annual report 1

Documents