In order to ensure stewardship and support management activities, SEA is developing a comprehensive understanding amongst stakeholders of all ages about the importance of marine conservation and the realities of MPA management. Over the years there has been a growing incorporation of environmental education and conservation principles into the yearly curriculum for all elementary and high school students.

 

Teachers are frequently looking to organizations like SEA to offer courses or activities that will further enhance these in class sessions. Previous environmental education programs have further illustrated the impact that a simple day spent actually experiencing the World Heritage Site can provide for young learners. Most students (and adults) return from these experiences ready to go out and improve their communities and the environment.

 

Students receive an invigorating experience while visiting the Marine Protected Areas and Fishermen a more comprehensive knowledge of what is happening in their MPA’s as well as Clearer understanding of the rules and regulations of Marine Protected Areas in Belize.

Through the funding of the European Union (UNDP/EU/GCCA), the Southern Environmental Association (SEA) has embarked on the project “Community response to the effects of climate change” as a part of the Enhancing Belize’s resilience to adapt to the effects of climate change action.  This project focuses on building the resilience of communities and ecosystems in the face of climate change impacts through an ecosystem based approach that enhances land use management for greater resilience to soil erosion and coastal degradation. Community members including students, teachers, village leaders, and other volunteers are fully engaged in restoration and management activities that enable communities to be strengthened and resilient over the long term to the negative effects of climate change.  Ideally this project aims to:

 

• Conduct mangrove reforestation throughout coastal communities in southern Belize 

• Monitor water quality within the Placencia lagoon and the Southern Belize Reef Complex

• Enhance the resilience to coastal communities and their protective ecosystems through community engagement

• Improve and secure water supply to two coastal communities to strengthen their resiliency to the effects of climate change

• Over 140 students from seven different coastal communities have been trained in mangrove identification, the importance of mangroves, facing climate change, and mangrove restoration 

• Over 800 red, black and white mangroves and buttonwoods have been planted in five different coastal communities

• A water monitoring report for June 2013-June 2014 has been completed

• A mangrove restoration guide has been completed and disseminated in SEA’s eight stakeholder communities

• Coral bleaching monitoring continues

• 2 coastal communities will benefit from beach erosion assessments and improved drinking water facilities

 

SEA continues to train community members from its stakeholder communities (Hopkins, Sittee River, Seine Bight, Placencia, Independence, Monkey River, Punta Negra and Punta Gorda) in water quality monitoring and mangrove restoration techniques. If you would like to be a part of our Science or Education team, contact SEA at 501-523-3377 or send an email to: info@seabelize.org .  You can also help by respecting and/or monitoring our mangrove restoration sites in your community or a community near you.  If you would like to report an incident regarding our monitoring sites or other issues related to the work that SEA does, please also feel free to contact us as we continue to work toward a better community, better country and better world.