2005 Conservation Projects

Jump forward to see our 2005 rainforest conservation projects in Belize and Borneo.

Belize 2005

Mayflower

with the Belize Audobon Society (BAS)

National Park camp infrastructure development

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is home to Victoria Peak, the highest navigable peak in Belize. The trail to the summit is a favourite amongst serious and intrepid travellers to Belize. Trekforce Expeditions were asked to re-build the two camp sites and numerous bridges en route. Due to their location, deep within the jungle, the group had to bring to site all materials including 200lb posts across arduous terrain. The British Army assisted by transporting under-slung loads of bay leaf palm for roofing using their Bell 212 helicopters. Trekforce Expeditions have transformed the facilities available for visitors and significantly improved the trail’s infrastructure for BAS.

Davis Falls

with Friends of the Valley, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Belize Tourism Board

Forest Reserve infrastructure development

Davis Falls is Belize’s second tallest waterfall and is a truly magnificent sight to behold. Set in lush broadleaf forest at the edge of local citrus farms, it has remained relatively unknown to the majority of Belizeans. With the help of Trekforce Expeditions, trails, camp facilities, bridges and a changing room were constructed to cater for visitors to the site. Through national television coverage of the work undertaken and with backing from the Belize Tourism Board, Davis Falls has now become a nationally recognized destination for visitors. The work of the volunteers will go a long way in helping the area to achieve protected status.

Fireburn

with Wildtracks

Archaeological and scientific research

Trekforce were asked to clear and map the ancient ruins of Kacantulix - northern Belize’s second most prominent Mayan city. Having already carried out transects on a previous expedition, the group were asked to continue their investigations by three-dimensionally mapping the mounds around the central Aguada. The group also conducted scientific research on fish and turtle species in the nearby lagoon of Corozalito to determine the presence of Hickatee and Sawfish. Research was passed onto Wildtracks and the Institute of Archaeology. Kacantulix has since received protected status.

Maya Divide

with the Guiding Groups of San Jose and the Ministry of Forestry

Trail clearance

The Maya Divide is a route that leads across the mighty Maya Mountains in south-west Belize, crossing from Toledo to the Cayo district in some of the most remote forest in the country. The southern portion of the route was damaged by Hurricane Iris in 2001 which decimated large tracts of jungle making passage almost impossible. Working alongside guiding groups from the small village of San Jose in Toledo, the group worked to clear and re-open the 8-day route. The finished result was a dramatic improvement in accessibility and the chance to provide eco-tourism opportunities to directly benefit the people of San Jose.

Aguacaliente

with the Aguacaliente Management Team

Boardwalk construction

Trekforce’s return to Aguacaliente brought with it the new challenge of improving access to the spectacular lagoon system within. The existing trail made passage for all but the most determined of visitors unthinkable due to the levels of water that seasonally flood the area. The group were tasked with constructing a 2,500ft boardwalk to cover a large part of the distance to the lagoon. Improved access will increase visitor numbers and hence income for the communities surrounding the Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was deemed the second most important national site in terms of bio-physical value in 2005. It is a bird watchers’ paradise.

Bacalar Chico

with Green Reef and the Fisheries Department

Park infrastructure development

Bacalar Chico National Park is a World Heritage Site that includes both terrestrial and marine environments. Trekforce Expeditions were tasked with clearing a trail to connect a Fisheries Ranger Station on the west side of Ambergris Caye to Rocky Point (the only place in Belize where the reef touches the mainland) on the east side of the Caye. The group cut 15km of trail through mangrove and low canopy dry rainforest and constructed a pallapa hut on the edge of an internal lagoon called Cantena Lagoon. The trail and pallapa were developed for the use of scientific research groups, university students and eco-tourists.

Borneo 2005

Tabin

with SOS Rhino

Cut survey transects

Tabin Wildlife Reserve (TWR) is the largest in Sabah at 121,000 ha-1. Situated only 50km from Lahad Datu town on the south eastern cost of Sabah. Due to previous logging activity, TWR is a mosaic of different successional stages of forest types, providing various canopy heights and layers within. The team cut survey transects for SOS Rhino staff to further monitor the population and distribution of the Bornean subspecies of rhino present.

Malua

with The Royal Society and the Innoprise Corporation

Seed nursery construction

Danum Valley is one of the premier primary rainforest research sites in the world. The team assisted the long term management and research of the northern Malua Forest Reserve by constructing a nursery in which to house dipterocarp seedlings for future planting into the forest as part of the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment & South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme, managed by The Royal Society.

Kinabatangan

with MESCOT Community Tourism Board, Sabah

Invasive species removal and trail infrastructure

The lower reaches of the Kinabatangan River, the largest river in Sabah is one of the richest areas in Sabah for wildlife. The Lake Tongong has over many years become infested with Salvinia molesta, an invasive introduced aquatic plant species that dominates all other plant communities within the Lake. The project group was part of an effort to remove this species from the Lake and develop the trail network for eco-tourism.

Maliau Basin

with the Innoprise Corporation and Yayasan Sabah

Trail, steps and bridge construction

Maliau Basin is a 588km2 Class 1 Forest Reserve, which makes it one of the most protected forest areas in Sabah. The Maliau Basin is a conservation area which was only discovered in 1947 and has the affectionate name as ‘Sabah’s Lost World’. The projects undertaken included trail clearance, the construction of steps/ladders and the installation of 5 hanging bridges over small water courses to improve access to the seven tiered Maliau Falls in the heart of the conservation area. This trail will enable the link between the Field Study Centre and the falls in preparation for the opening of the basin, and this area in particular, to low impact tourism in late 2006.