For the first fifteen years of existence, we were the only environmental organization in Belize and operated solely by volunteers.
People and Us
I loved being part of the BAS team because they were very welcoming and clearly wanted me to achieve as much as I could whilst on placement. They helped me to visit many different areas of Belize and experience the differences in each of their protected wildlife sanctuaries. Furthermore, they were more than happy to help with any queries that I had with any of my tasks assigned. The BAS was a wonderful organisation for me to intern for and I would not hesitate to go and intern for them again.
Intern
“Being an active member of the Belize Audubon Society has been very rewarding” “I’ve also been given the opportunity to speak to many young people, in hopes of inspiring them to be birders” “In the end they’re protecting these sites for us and our children and you can be a part of it too”
Board Member
MPAConnect
Since 2010 the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI), in partnership with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has worked with Belize Audubon Society to help enhance management of the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments. Belize was selected to participate in MPAConnect because of the health of our coral reefs, our government’s commitment to international protected area initiatives,, our investment in MPAs as a conservation tool and our ecological connectivity with US and other coral reefs in the region. The Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments were nominated to participate in this network based on the high biological value of their natural resources and the viability of conservation efforts.
Project Donor
I have been privileged to stay with the BAS staff for two weeks in both 2019 and 2020. When assessing my skills to see what I could offer, I hit upon photography and picking up trash. So I spent hours every day taking pictures in the marine reserve and bird sanctuary, and made a little time each day to collect the plastic refuse that continuously washes ashore. I have picked up water bottles with origins in Jamaica, China and Dubai. I have picked up enough flip flops to open a small shoe store. I determined to be very careful about my personal use of plastics. I learned about the pervasiveness of plastic particles in our environment world wide, including the air we breathe, the water we drink and even breast milk! I am very pleased to learn of Belize restricting single use plastics.
The BAS staff has been exceptionally welcoming and supportive to me during my stays on the caye. I have accompanied their patrols as they monitor and educate the local fishermen. Their friendly and informative approach to their job is a model to be followed. They also brought me to the Blue Hole on their patrols, where I photograph the reef while they monitor the scuba divers.
Volunteer