2007 Conservation Projects

February saw the first 44 gap year volunteers, since our evolution into Trekforce Worldwide, taking part in two projects in Belize. This was followed by one of our shorter 'career break' expeditions in July in Elijio Panti National Park.

Belize 2007

Davis Falls

with Friends of the Valley

Construction of palapas and bridges, and trail renovation

Davis Falls is Belize's second highest waterfall, and the breathtaking views from the top of the falls makes it a perfect tourist attraction. Trekforce are familiar with this area, with project work at Davis Falls during 2005 and 2006, including constructing a visitor centre, installing handrails and steps up to the falls and building bridges. This year's volunteers are now back to update the work initially carried out as well as re-clearing existing tourist trails in partnership with Friends of the Valley. They carried out reconnaissance of the area surrounding the falls to determine where the boundary lines of a new National Park should lie. The group's exploratory transects discovered two waterfalls that were previously unknown.

Rio Frio

with the Department of Forestry

Construction of two toilet blocks, a picnic area, palapa re-thatching and trail clearance.

The Rio Frio is located at Douglas Da Silva in Mountain Pine Ridge 100,000 acres of land of which a large amount is protected. The aim is to get the forest station ready for future visitor use in the hope it will encourage Belizean user groups to the area. In particular, scientific groups who can look at dangers to the area and forecast problems. This is a group welcomed by the locals after the area was devastated by the Southern Pine Bark Beetle up until 2002.

Sustainable tourism was the key aim in the project, with the group building a picnic area, and changing facilities at Rio on Pools, and two toilet/shower blocks at Douglas Da SIlva. The group also cleared a nature trail, which can now take visitors from Douglas de Silva to Rio Frio Cave, where the group also re-thatched a palapa there. These facilities will encourage more people to visit the area, generating an income which will assist in the long term management of the area.

Elijio Panti

with the Itzamna Society

Construction of a palapa, fire shelter, latrine, shower block and water collection system.

Elijio Panti National Park is named after a world renowned Mayan Bush Doctor, Don Elijio Panti from San Antonio who died in 1996 at the age of 103. The caves at the heart of the park were in 2006 subject to considerable looting of ancient Mayan artefacts. The aim of this project was to increase tourist and warden presence to ward off further looting. The Itzamna Society was formed as a community NGO made up by 3 nearby villages that wanted to preserve the rainforest and educate people by setting up the National Park (the most recent bar Mayflower), headed by Maria Garcia, one of the most influential Mayan women in Belize.

The Trekforce group's role was to build the focal palapa of the park next to the offering cave designed to accommodate eco-tourists, build washing facilities near the cave, and reconstruct steps linking the cave and campsite.

Go back to the list or see similar projects in 2006 and 2008.