Four architecture students from the New York City College Of Technology (NYCCT) use a blog to share their experiences during their study abroad in Belize. They learn new form of architectural techniques, enjoy delicious Belizean cuisine, explore the rainforest, ancient ruins and the reef, and make a lifetime of memories.  http://archbelize2015.blogspot.com/ 

Danielle Zender, Baljinder Kaur, Patricia Paredes, and Walkiria Cabrera each shared stories of their BFREE Field Course led by their instructor Lia Dikigoropoulou.

William Garcia from BFREE wrapped up his two year participation in the Caribbean Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (C-EWCL) training program this spring. He met other members of his cohort in Tobago in early May to finalize the project, make recommendations, and celebrate the group’s success.

Funded in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), C-EWCL is an opportunity for up-and-coming conservation professionals in the Caribbean to gain invaluable skills and experience working with proven conservation leaders. Graduates become future conservation leaders of the Caribbean with the competence necessary to lead on critical issues facing wildlife in the region.

Participants received three training sessions over a two-year period, and worked in teams to develop, implement and evaluate a wildlife conservation project in the Caribbean. “With many of today’s conservation leaders in the Caribbean retiring in the next decade and numerous mid-career professionals having left the region for international opportunities, there is a critical need to develop a new generation of wildlife leaders in this region,” said Beth Allgood, C-EWCL Director and Campaigns Managers at IFAW. “C-EWCL provides today’s young professionals hands-on, comprehensive experience to become tomorrow’s conservation leaders.”

C-EWCL class members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences in the conservation field. William’s cohort included:
• Abdel Abellard, Haiti, USAID/Haiti
• Marchilio Ack, Belize, Ya’axche Conservation Trust
• Marlon Oliver Beale, Jamaica, Jamaica Conservation & Development Trust
• Felicity Burrows, Bahamas, The Nature Conservancy
• Jorge Castillo, Panama, Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Jamal Galves, Belize, Coastal Zone Management Authority
• Jeanel Georges, Barbados, CARIBSAVE Partnership
• Renee Gift, Tobago, Gift & Co, Attorneys at Law
• S.K. Natalya Lawrence, Antigua, Offshore Islands Conservation Program
• Clarissa Lloyd, Anguilla, Terrestrial & Wetlands Conservation Officer, Anguilla National Trust
• David Mahabir, Trinidad, Research Officer/Wildlife Section
• Andres Jimenez Monge, Costa Rica, International Student Volunteers Costa Rica
• Darshanjit Singh Narang, Trinidad & Tobago, Environmental Management Authority
• Feria Narcisse-Gaston, St. Lucia, Forest Officer, Forestry Dept
• Angela Randazzo Eisemann, Honduras, Marine biologist consultant
• Paul Watler, Cayman Islands, Environmental Programmes Manager Designate

About Caribbean Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (C-EWCL)
The goal of the Caribbean Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) program is to facilitate cross-organizational networking and mentoring for emerging wildlife conservation leaders in the Caribbean region while conducting training and guiding concrete innovative conservation projects. For more information, please visit wildlifeleaders.org/classes/caribbean-ewcl

It’s hard to believe that another field season has come and gone! This season wrapped up in May and June with fantastic returning courses and a brand new teachers’ institute. Groups enjoyed hikes through the rainforest, family homestays in Maya communities, evening adventures at the Belize Zoo, tasting tours of the Spice Farm, snorkeling in Belize’s beautiful waters, and so much more.

May Field Courses

• “Biology” led by Instructor Sara Ash from University of Cumberlands, Kentucky.

• Tropical Biology” led by Instructor Paul Pickhardt of Lakeland College, Wisconsin.

• “Field Study in Belize” led by Instructors Jon Evans and Jordan Casey of Sewanee: University of the South, Tennessee.

June Field Courses

• “Tropical Biology” led by Instructors Maarten Vonhof and Michael Buchalski of Western Michigan University.

• “Teacher’s Institute in Belize” led by Instructors Mary Risner and Mandy Monroe of University of Florida, Center for Latin American Studies and BFREE.

This summer professors and students from three different technical colleges installed solar panels on top of the bunkhouse at the field station as part of a field course.  Joel Shoemaker of Madison College, Chris Miller of Heartland Community College, and Sarah Hawkins of Lakeshore Technical College led the course.

Sarah, Joel and Chris knew each other from all being involved in a grant to expand study abroad at two-year colleges. Sarah knew colleagues at her school who had gone to BFREE and heard the field station was running off of solar energy. Sarah and Joel then went down to BFREE to check out the field station and a year later they had a class planned to install a new system at the bunkhouse.

Sarah brought her student, Shannon McCabe; Joel brought three students, Omar Zguerdoufi, Josh Stern and Tyler Anderson; and Chris brought his student, Lori Estrada.

The Photo Voltaic panels used on the bunkhouse were previously installed at Madison College, but had been blown down in a storm and were later donated. Charge controllers, LED lighting, wiring and batteries were among the other items donated by Joel and Chris.

Though the instructors may have brought most of the supplies, the students, said Chris, did all of the work.

“The mission is to put what we learn in the classroom into operation,” he said.

All of the instructors said they hoped their students would learn to be self-reliant and gain confidence by doing an install in an environment with limited resources.

“If something is missing or broken, you would have just bought a new piece,” said Sarah. “But here, you need to problem solve on the spot. For example, when the generator broke instead of going out to get a new one, Tyler took the whole thing apart and fixed it.”

Students not only had to be quick on their feet, they also had to think ahead.

“In order to do this, we would have to plan very well and make sure we had all of our parts and pieces,” said Joel.  “I wanted our students to experience the process of really thinking through everything they were doing and figuring out how to deal with whatever limitations were around them.”

Chris and Joel also wanted their students to get the experience of installing a solar system that would be the main source of power. Unlike in the US where these systems usually function as a secondary source, the system on the bunkhouse would be the sole source of energy.

In addition to all working together as a team, the students also learned a lot from BFREE manager, Marcelino. They admired his work ethic, Sarah said, and it was great for the students to get to know a local Belizean outside of the tourist/host relationship and as part of an everyday work context with the goal of completely a job together.

Before the new install the bunkhouse only had D/C indoor lights with no outlets and the picnic tables outside of the bunkhouse did not have any lighting at all. The system inside was often unreliable with students having to fumble around after dark.

Now the bunkhouse is equipped with stable lighting, outlets for students to charge phones and laptops and lighting for the outdoor picnic tables.

In 10 days the group was able to complete the bunkhouse install as well as another install of solar energy on the community center in the Golden Stream Village.