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Going to Belize!
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I am doing a bachelor's degree at Mount Royal College in Calgary in
Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership. My program requires that I complete
two practicums (work terms). I really wanted to find an international
placement somewhere in South or Central America because it is somewhere
I have wanted to travel to and it is a relatively inexpensive
destination. Through a instructor of my program and another student I
found out about a place called Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize.
Belize has quite a successful ecotourism industry and after looking
into Monkey Bay I thought it was a perfect fit for me. I emailed them
and applied for an "intern" position at the sanctuary. They replied
back and granted me the spot. I am very excited and looking forward to
learning more about Belize and helping out. Once my practicum hours at
Monkey Bay are complete I may travel around to other Central American
countries and volunteer some more. Here is some information about my
placement at Monkey Bay:
History
Taken from the Case Story of a Private Protected Area in Belize ~ Matthew Miller
The story of Monkey Bay is unusual. Joshua Brown, a small farmer from Arkansas, USA purchased 1070 acres of private land in Belize in 1974. The property was
undisturbed with the natural vegetation intact. His original intent was to satisfy the development agreement with the Belizean government by clearing a small portion of the property for a cattle ranch. After several years of investment, 100 head of cattle were introduced into the fenced pastures that he developed. The following year, the Sibun River flooded and swept away the livestock, along with the investment plan of the owner. During the development phase of the project, Joshua realized an appreciation for the biodiversity of the area, along with a deep sense of stewardship that guided him toward
conservation management of his property. His recollection of those times is:
After I had been in Belize for a while exploring around the bush. I was drawn at the far end of the property leaning against a particular cohune tree. I said to myself: "you know, this place is going to be the same wild place for a thousand years." Within one year following, my neighbor had pushed a road along our common survey line to that same cohune tree and began clearing the adjacent property in the river valley for citrus and
cocoa production. When that happened, I promised the wild creatures at Monkey
Bay that they would have their home for a very, very long time.Hence, the idea was born to work toward this commitment to protect and manage the Monkey bay property in order to contribute to the long-term maintenance of biodiversity in Belize.
In 1988, Joshua met Matthew Millar, a Peace Corps Volunteer working for
the Belize Audubon Society (BAS). Matthew's volunteer assignment was to assist
in the development of two national parks managed by BAS. Joshua presented his
idea of protecting Monkey Bay and requested Matthew's assistance in
realizing the project. When Matthew completed his volunteer service with BAS, he
accepted the challenge and in partnership with Joshua, initiated a plan of
action to put Monkey Bay on the map of protected areas in Belize.
They began by building a nature trail and posted a public sign on the road
frontage that advertised "Birding and Nature Trails" A few curious Belizeans and
tourists visited, and the Belizean youth environmental action group offered to
help plant fruit trees to benefit resident wildlife populations. This was just
enough interest to encourage them to continue in their efforts. They formed a
local conservation NGO, invited members to join, and began developing
partnerships with other established local and international conservation
organization....
Thus the Monkey Bay you see today!
Mission of Monkey Bay
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is an environmental education center that offers experiential learning programs and training opportunities while serving as a model of
conservation land stewardship.
Our Vision . . . is the possibility of a sustainable world
Goal for our interns:
Monkey Bay aims for the intern to be well informed and comfortable enough to deliver information and respond to questions about the natural history and cultural ecology of the Sibun watershed area, and to assist groups on guided day trips from Monkey Bay.
Goal for Business
'Our goal is to guide our guests and students in experiencing the natural
wonders of the tropics and life in a developing country, recognizing the
diversity of human potential through other cultures. We do this from a peaceful
natural setting at Monkey Bay where we experiment with sustainable
living technologies and conservation land management. We employ hands-on,
experiential learning techniques, using the protected areas system, biological
corridor, rural village host communities and the country of Belize
as our outdoor classroom. We work with each group to custom design a learning
curriculum and program itinerary that best suits their needs and special
interests. Our staff offers classroom and field based teaching and serve as
facilitators for teachers and other group leaders.'
What to expect :
An atmosphere of fun, education and relaxation. When student groups arrive to Monkey Bay, the energy level rises exponentially. Everyone is on their toes being of service to our guests to insure that the students are well cared for. This involves assisting with
housekeeping and helping prepare juices and setting the dining hall. When the group arrives, an intern or volunteer can expect to join along with groups on the activities they do such as canoeing, caving, birding, touring the Belize Zoo, exploring Ancient Maya Sites and modern Maya villages ... and more. Monkey bay is a place of extremes;
translated as extremely busy and extremely quite. During the non-busy times one
can find themselves relaxing in a hammock, walking to the river for an afternoon
swim, working on a special project for Monkey Bay, garden cleaning, getting
prepared for the next group and catching up on a well-earned rest. The Belizean
staff that you will be working along side is tremendously capable and amazingly
friendly, and will inspire you to do the best that you can do while offering a
helping hand. Serving at Monkey Bay allows one to become creative and
pursue tasks that you help plan and consider to be meaningful and beneficial to
others. When you arrive to Belize, the Monkey Bay Crew wants you
to feel at home, become settled and cultivate a sense of pride in the community
you live in, in order for your creative inspiration and motivation to care for
Earth and others comes alive.
Group Work:
During your stay at Monkey Bay there will be many groups that we host
of students and other adventurers. This is a great time to learn about and visit
with others, becoming apart of a group of people that are interested in the
things Monkey Bay is about. The staff here encourages interns and
volunteers to participate in lectures and classes (with the instructor's
permission), creating a very positive networking environment. By doing this you
help maintain a standard at Monkey Bay of learning and interacting with a
diversity of people. Group work also involves going on excursions in support of
study groups; be it a day trip or overnight excursion to the Maya Mountains or
Cayes, some tasks you would be helping with are cooking, cleaning, camp set up,
group organization, camp clean up, digging of latrines, minor first aid,
assistant to guide, and perhaps if it is your specialty, educating the group on
their surroundings or any other number of teachable moments that may come your
way. Travel and interaction of all cultures is promoted in Monkey Bay
and any chance you are able to get out and explore the better asset you are to
Monkey Bay.
As much as possible Monkey Bay wants you to be apart of the whole Belizean experience, the more you know of the country and the more comfortable you get, the more beneficial you are to spread knowledge to Monkey Bay guests and share experiences with those who come for a stay.
www.monkeybaybelize.org
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