Bio-diversity

The Zoo proposes a program of school visits, including the presentation of a specially developed program on the reef and its resources, and an end-of-the-year marine environmental science fair, to achieve this goal. By the end of the project, 30 primary school teachers from all over Belize would have been educated on marine conservation topics by participating in the Zoo s annual study tour for primary school teachers and Zoo Educators would have made an estimated 60 presentations in 20 schools from 12 coastal communities to 6,000 students and teachers in the two southern most districts; an additional 800 students and teachers from three of our northern coastal communities would have also been impacted upon. Five thousand posters and two thousand bumper stickers would have been printed with marine conservation messages; and distributed to students, teachers and other community members including local tour guides and fishermen. Additionally, with the assistance of local stakeholders, a teaching booklet on marine topics would have been developed, printed, and distributed to teachers. A marine environmental science fair for upper division classes involving the participating schools from Stann Creek and Toledo Districts would have been held, with students creating projects to showcase the significance of this ecosystem, highlighting both its socioeconomic and environmental implications. Students from the winning class would be awarded a field trip to the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve or South Water Caye Marine Reserve to view the Belize Barrier Reef. This project would begin in June, with the development of the slide presentation and teaching curriculum and the design and printing of the materials. School presentations would begin in September and continue through November. The project would culminate with the marine science environmental fair, which would be held in December. Community participation would be incorporated into the project at all stages. Input from teachers, school administrators, and Ministry of Education personnel, as well as from local environmental community-based NGOs, would be sought to assist with the development of the curriculum and printed materials. After the school visits begin, feedback will be solicited from both teachers and students after each presentation, with the goal of adjusting the program as needed for maximum efficiency. Finally, the end-of-the-year science fair would be a community effort: we envision students, parents, and teachers all working together on their schools displays. Risks to project implementation are minimal, primarily involving delays with receiving printed materials, lack of teachers and/or students interest in the program, and adverse weather. However, given the Belize Zoo s lengthy experience with running educational programs, we feel confident we will be able to reduce these risks through careful planning. Zoo staff will keep detailed records to serve as project indicators, including number of presentations made, number of teachers and students reached, and total amount of materials distributed. Qualitative indicators will be obtained through teachers written feedback after presentations, and the fair will also assist us in evaluating how well the project met its goals, as the displays will allow us to see firsthand how successful our educational effort was and how much information was passed onto the students and the community. Environmental education brings people into the process of sustainable development in a meaningful and effective way. When people see and understand the link between protecting a resource, their livelihoods and their children s future, they become key players in the conservation process. The Zoo feels a reef education project is highly needed and also very likely to show results. Educating teachers and students and through them, their family members who utilize the Belize Barrier Reef is a worthwhile endeavor as part of the total effort to preserve the integrity of this World Heritage site. Also, reaching the youngest residents will ensure this program will have long-lasting effects for preservation of the reef, as the children of today will become tomorrow s leaders. The staff of the Belize Zoo believe we have the experience and proven commitment to providing environmental education to make this project a success, and look forward to continuing our mission of conservation through the raising of environmental awareness in all regions of Belize. This objective falls within the purview of projects that are fundable through COMPACT, as it deals specifically with increasing awareness of the world value of the BBRWHS among coastal communities described within the Belize COMPACT Programme Strategy. For the implementation of this project, the total cost will be $101,679.00. COMPACT is being asked to contribute $61,309.00, The Belize Zoo will contribute $24,170.00, Peace Corp $15,000.00 and the communities contribution will amount to $1,200.00. 2. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND AND CAPACITY The Belize Zoo is a nineteen-year-old, national, non-governmental, registered organization and a member of the Belize Alliance of Conservation Non-Governmental Organizations (BACONGO). It is governed by a Board of Directors with a membership base of over 500 members, local and international, and is maintained by a permanent workforce of 25 paid staff. The four primary goals of the Zoo are: to enhance Education, Conservation, Research and Recre

Belize