A Few More Pictures of the Final Days in Belize

Group Photo


We celebrated our last night with a traditional drumming performance


John and Wyatt join the drumming group


Group Photo Revisited

August 10, 2006

Heading Home

The Belize Watershed Ecology ECO Journey came full circle today as our students finished the program at the same place we started - Monkey Bay. They had followed the watershed of the Sibun River from the headwaters to the entry to the sea. The students learned much as we canoed, swam, hiked, and explored the river and broadleaf forest (rainforest) of mainland Belize before we headed to the crystal blue waters of the reef and Tobacco Caye. On the caye, we explored the underwater world of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds all the while relating our new underwater world to the larger ecology of Belize.

Some of the most important lessons of our journey were the human aspects. We made many friends along our journey. Our teachers Lori, Kimo, and Matt taught us more than lessons. Each teacher, in their own way, inspired students to want to learn more, to ask questions, to try new things, to explore and discover the joys of nature, and to learn how the culture, politics, and economics of a people are intricatly related to their environment. We made friends with Oswald, our 11 yr. old Belizean friend, who traveled with us throughout our journey and taught us how to play, work, smile, dance, and explore. We made friends with Kimo's wife, son, and daughter, whom we met and ate with in San Ignacio. We made friends with our Armenian families, who welcomed us into their culture as guests in their homes. We made friends with our boat captains, Captain Fermin, Michael and Loyd, who also played volleyball, soccer, and looked for creatures at night with us. We made friends with Manolo and Mercedes who fed us so well and Trinidad who helped us travel from place to place. Our students also made better friends with each other as they worked as a team to do activities, travel, and explore new places.

We had one final swim in the Sibun River this morning, before we were to head for the airport. The students had made much more than a physical journey around Belize. You could see it in their eyes. They felt differently about this place, the people, the water that fed the system than when they had arrived. When we said goodbye to Oswald today there were many tears, and everyone invited him to California to visit us one day. He is part of our group and we will miss him.

My hope is that the students will remember this journey and want to ask more questions, explore new environments and cultures, meet new people, and be excited about learning. I hope they will want to learn more about their own watershed, neighbors, environment, and management issues in California. Many thanks to our program leaders, administration and parents who supported the program.

I'll finish my entry with two quotes. One which reflects the goal of the program and one that is on our ECOJourney t-shirt.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift". - Albert Einstein

Christine

August 10, 2006

Unfortunately today is our last day in Belize. Yesterday we returned to Monkey Bay for our final night and recap where we were surprised by an outstanding drumming band, called the Forte Afrique. We celebrated our last night by dancing in the traditional Punta style. This morning we were able to have our final swim in the Sibun River before saying our tearful goodbyes. I am sure that I can speak for everyone when I say that this trip has been an amazing experience that will be forever remembered. We will all see you shortly.
- Marcus Scarioni

August 9, 2006

Sadly today is our last day on Tobacco Caye. I took to opportunity to go on every snorkel possible, and today was by far one of the best. I was able to be in the water by 6:30 am and snorkel around the reef and over the sea grass beds. Then I was went with Lori and Ms. Muir for a 10 am snorkel and we saw 3 spotted eagle rays, 25 tarpon, file fish, and many other fish I had not seen before. I am sad to leave the island, but I hope to return one day.
Peace
Allison

August 9, 2006

Today we left Tobacco Caye and although we are going to miss it, I think some are ready to go home. Later we shopped for hammocks in Dangriga and tried to find a music store. Unfortunately, they were all closed. We just arrived at Monkey Bay and people are mostly hanging out the hammocks and playing Frisbee. Last but not least, tonight we have a SURPRISE! I have no idea what, but some people think campfire or slideshow.

Later
-Benny Kovachy

August 8, 2006

Our morning snorkel was interrupted by some bad weather, but we stopped the boats and jumped out to swim until the rain passed by. At our second snorkel spot my group, (Josh, Colin, Benny, Tom and I) spotted a two and a half foot puffer fish, probably the biggest one I have ever seen. Once we got back to the island our day got pretty intense. We were split into four groups for a scavenger hunt right off the south part of the island. What made it so intense was the first place prize of a coke and snickers bar, and of course my team won. The most valued part of the day would have to be the free time between the second snorkel session and dinner. Oh I almost forgot, IT'S ETHANS BIRTHDAY!. In addition I would like to give some advice to any snorkel enthusiast, wear sunscreen. Anyway I've gotta go claim a hammock before some takes it.

Later,
Wyatt Farino


Daniel and Luke on the boat at Tobacco Caye

August 7, 2006

Well hello, all, Nika here. It's evening here in Belize and an absolutely gorgeous one at that. Having been here on Tobacco Caye for a couple of days now, we have FINALLY gotten used to its luxurious beaches, friendly staff members and guests, beachfront cabanas, fresh cooked meals, warm sun, cool breeze, etc. (I know, what us kids are put through here JK I mean Really JK) However, the list of wonderful things that we are experiencing here could go on forever. This morning we all casually arose from a refreshing slumber to eat a freshly cooked breakfast, which we ate faster than parrotfish eating coral. (This is fast.) After we had some free time to digest, we headed out in our boats. We first had a small detour to see a small mangrove island inhabited by Yellow-Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds. After nearly roasting their students in the hot Belizean sun, our kind chaperones decided to take us to the Man-O-War Caye where we were able to take a snorkel in the murky eddy waters amongst the mangrove roots. After touching jellyfish and seeing giant starfish and the like, we headed out to the Twin Keys. Once in the Twin Keys, we were able to once again snorkel. We then came back to what feels like our own private island and have a few more hours of free time before we again, guess what, snorkeled. This time, we went out on the other side of Tobacco Caye and swam through one of the little channels, only this time, there was an assignment besides just simply enjoying the gorgeous and unusual sights that we are rarely, if ever, exposed to at home. We had four groups which had their own little projects: observing fish, reef creatures, algae, and coral, about which all of the groups gave an entire two minute presentation. What a stretch for the rising seniors that was! Since then, we have been relaxing and enjoying our free time by playing soccer, volleyball, cards, swinging in the hammocks, and witnessing firsthand the effects of the sun on our skin. To wrap things up, we have been having a wonderful experience on Tobacco Caye and had yet another fun and education- filled day. I hope that reading this blog helps bring you closer to us and this beautiful country and helps to reassure you that we actually are learning and doing a lot of work, I mean really, it is a lot of work to remember to reapply sunscreen so often JK

See you soon.
Love
Nika Clark ļ


Kelsey snorkels at the mangrove roots


We saw a Spotted Eagle Ray on our snorkel today!

August 6, 2006

Hi this is Tom H. Today we had a great day snorkeling it was really exciting and fun. I saw many new animals that I have not seen before including a 6 foot barracuda. It was cool.


Greetings from Belize. Matt and Oswald here on Tobacco Caye with the student group. We live and work in Belize and are having a great time traveling with and showing all of our favorite spots around the country to our special guests from Woodside Priory. So far, our highlights have been canoeing on the Sibun River, near to where we live at Monkey Bay; THE BEST field excursion was to the Mountain Pine Ridge where we bathed in granite pools and cascades at Rio On, AND hiked through the jungle to a huge cave, Rio Frio, formed by flowing water. Our time with host families in Armenia Village was a great experience for us as well since we stayed overnight with a Maya Family host named Patricia Choc ¡V there we had fresh hand made corn tortilla baked on the wood burning fire hearth in their thatch roofed kitchen. We also bought jippy jappa fiber baskets with beautiful colors and designs ¡V the Maya are skilled at making art and craft from local materials harvested from the forest. Today we traveled by boat along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef to Carrie Bow Caye where the Smithsonian Institute operates a marine research station for the past 35 years. The small one-acre island has facilities for scientists to live and study marine ecosystems and organisms. There is a huge collection of scientific publications housed in their library and the station manager told us stories about the ongoing field work. We met two of the researchers studying the lifecycle and habits of hermit crabs, snorkeled off shore in the patch reef surrounding the island situated on the barrier reef.

Tonight we had fresh fish for dinner and planned another day of snorkeling at Twin Cayes in the mangrove habitat where we hope to see manatee and dolphins tomorrow. The sun, salt and stiff breeze here is invigorating and we are very tired at the end of the day. We hope to meet you and host your visit to Belize one day soon. Good night!
- Matthew Miller and Oswald Young



Our cabanas on the beach at Gaviota Reef Resort on Tobacco Caye

August 4 & 5, 2006: Thoughts on the Homestay Experience

The homestay in Armenia Village was one of the most incredible experiences with students of my life. As parents, you gave your child the opportunity to experience another culture in a way they will never forget. I know this was a life changing event for all. The residents of the village were incredibly inviting and welcoming. Each family welcomed your children with hugs and smiles. The gave us the best they had – food, beds, and most importantly hospitality and friendship. Words can’t begin to express the variety of experiences, stories, and conversations we have had as a group around our homestay program. Special thanks to our guides Lori, Matt and Kimo who made the program possible. We will all be better people because of this experience. Thank you!
- Christine (lead teacher Woodside Priory School)

August 5, 2006

My day began at one in the morning when a faint scratching on the wall awoke me. I whipped out a flashlight, scared that a bug was nearby. However, it was just the sound of paper flowing about thanks to the wind from the fan my host family gave us.

A few—okay, a lot of hours later, I woke up thanks to my Longs Drugstore alarm clock beeping at me to get out of bed. The smell of home-made tortillas pulled me from bed much faster than usual, and I went to help my “host sister,” Diane (17) with breakfast. After a few hours of chatting with her, her daughter Jenny (3), her mother, her grandmother, and her brother, Darrel (19), Katie and I were sad to say our goodbyes.

We hugged and took pictures, and went off to another long bus ride. On the bus, many of us attempted to dry our towels and pants out the window, and a boy tried to grab my towel. Oops. Not blow-drying from a bus window again. After what seemed like a far shorter bus ride than I expected, we loaded into two speedboats (plus a whole other boat for our luggage) and flew off into the horizon. Before I knew it, the water was choppy and dark, and no land was in sight. Sitting in the front row, I got soaked. This, of course, was a welcome relief from the day’s heat. Kelsey, John and I decided that speed-boating over an ocean is like riding a horse. Up, down, up, down. We did the horse-riding drill and soon our derrieres no longer were in pain.

Once we were here, on Tobacco Caye, we had a spaghetti lunch and got ready to snorkel. Though today we were limited to swimming around the dock, we saw a good amount of fish. Among my favorites were the giant red hermit crab, a school of silversides, and above all, the peacock flounder.

Today was great, and we’re all looking forward to seeing even more beautiful fish. Our cabanas are amazing, and the view is incredible. Mary even said “I hope heaven looks like this.” Needless to say, Tobacco Caye is amazing.
- Karina Gerstenschlager


Juliana and Nika with their host family from Armenia Village


Karina and Kimo look up the fish they found at Tobacco Caye

August 4, 2006

There was a lot of excitement today! Having started the day with a filling breakfast at the Midas resort, we endured a long bus ride and finally arrived at Chaa Creek. I didn’t quite know what to expect. The group split into two divisions, each led by a charming, disarming tour guide. My mini group hiked up a short hill and came across a truly remarkable cage where Blue Morpho Butterflies were raised their entire lives. Everyone was amazed, as there were probably more than a hundred blue flying butterflies confined in such a small cage. A few butterflies even landed on some of us! There was more to do at Chaa Creek, but a lot of it was lecturing by the tour guide, although it was very interesting. After this there was another long bus ride, shortly interrupted by a quick dip in a nearby river. At last we reached Armenia Village, where we would meet our homestay families. We were given a brief touring of the village (primarily the farm and corn fields) and were then introduced to our various host families. Everyone instantly fell in love with their families, and Tom and I were not exceptions! Although the conversation was very awkward at first and difficult to keep going, Tom and I became very close with our host brother Melvin. He spoke very good English. Tom and I were shown our room, had some very interesting encounters with a large spider and the coatimundi (tropical family pet), and went to bed very late. The End.
- Luke Jeffrey


Wyatt meets his host mom in Armenia Village

August 3, 3006

Today we left from Monkey Bay and took a 2 hour bus ride to Rio on Rio Pools. This was no ordinary bus ride it, it was a ride through beautiful broad leaf forest (rain forest) on the bumpiest dirt road imaginable. Then we swam in beautiful pools with lots of water falls, and we were able to ride down the smaller falls like a slide. Sadly, our swim was cut short by a storm. After a lunch, of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had, we went on a hike through the broad leaf forest. On our hike many people had a life time first of eating termites, which tastes like carrots. Then we went through a cave. The highlight of the day for me was looking into a crevasse and seeing a million bats. Then we moved into the most beautiful hotel and had dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner we walked through the town of San Ignacio where our guide Kimo lives with his family. Today was my favorite day of the trip so far.
- Allison Littlefield

Swimming in the Rio on Rio Pools


Hiking through the Rio Frio Cave


Checking out the bats in Rio Frio Cave

August 5, 2006

This trip update was conveyed over the phone, as internet access has been non-existent for the group since the last blog was posted. While it won't be nearly as exciting as reading your children's actual remarks or seeing pictures, hopefully it will at least keep you in the loop as to where they are, what they are seeing/doing and a few of their adventures thus far!

On August 3rd, the students headed towards the Maya mountains for a rainforest hike. This hike led them to the Rio on Rio pools - freshwater pools, where they swam, slid down a natural waterslide and swam underneath waterfalls. They followed a river through the Rio Frio cave, a massive limestone cave carved through the mountain by the Rio Frio river. Throughout the hike, they saw lots of cool plants, a few bats and many other things that I am sure they will tell you about in their next blog, or when they get home!

That evening, they stayed at the Midas Resort in San Ignacio. San Ignacio is part of Belize's second largest urban area and the students were able to go out and explore the town upon arrival, doing a little shopping and sightseeing.

Yesterday was jam-packed with a visit to the Chaa Creek Natural History Center, where the students hiked a medicinal plants trail, aka the Rainforest Pharmacy. They also took a tour of a butterfly breeding center and learned a good deal about Mayan culture. That was followed up by a trip to the village of Armenia, a Mayan village, where the students were placed with host families for overnight homestays. When they arrived in Armenia, they were taken on a tour of the village and were shown how Masa (cornmeal) is ground. Dinner was with the individual families and several students reported eating tortillas they had helped make.

The homestays received great reviews - this morning, no one wanted to leave, although the concept of snorkeling the barrier reef changed a few minds. At last report, they were all in Dangriga, awaiting the ferries for the 45 minute ride to Tobacco Caye, which is a tiny island located directly on top of the second largest barrier reef in the world. The students will spend the next 4 days here, exploring the reefs, snorkeling, swimming, exploring mangroves, tropical fish communities, sea grass beds and learning about marine ecology. They will be staying at the Gaviota Reef Resort, an eco-friendly resort right on the beaches of the island.

As soon as they have Internet access, new blogs will be posted, hopefully with pictures of all the fun they have been experiencing. In the meantime, rest assured that your children are having an amazing experience on this fun and educational adventure.

August 2, 2006

Hello from Belize! We are just putting a wrap on an event-filled day at Monkey Bay Nature Preserve. Monkey Bay is owned and operated by American conservationists, with the goal of promoting environmental education and ecotourism. Our group is in great hands, as three in-country guides are planning almost every aspect of our Belizean adventure. If only I had it this easy in the classroom… We’ve managed to slip in some good concepts about watersheds and human impact among the canoeing, swimming, water-fighting, and fig-flinging. The kids are gelling nicely as a group, and are in very good spirits despite our long day of travel yesterday. We have a nice plan for tomorrow, heading out to the mountains, visiting a few waterfalls, and visiting a small village for some dinner and craft shopping.
Now I need to catch some sleep so I can keep up with the kids.

Cheers,
Josh Bookin (teacher)

After breakfast, we listened to about an hour lecture about the watersheds in Belize. We learned how the water and activities up in the mountains effect the organisms living way down in the coral reefs. After that we piled into our trusty, yellow school bus and headed off toward the Sibun River. When the bus came to a halt (about 15 minutes later) we had a short walk down to the river. On the hike we stopped to watch some leaf cutter ants which I found quite fascinating. When we reached the waterfront we all took a quick test to show our swimming abilities and were briefed on how the properly control the canoes. Forty minutes later, after lunch, swimming and some re-application of sunscreen, we began to head down the river. I saw some bats and little fish that try to clean you and pick off ticks and moles (none of us had ticks for them) and the canoeing was very enjoyable. Most of us were able to pluck figs out of the water to throw at fellow canoers and practically everyone jumped out of their boats for a refreshing dip during the straight, mellow stretches of the river. Halfway through the ride we pulled onto a little beach to snack and better learn about the ecology of the river and the organisms dependent on it. We also learned, and saw, how humans were having a negative impact on the river by mining gravel out of it. By the end of the eight mile paddle we were all exhausted and some of us even acquired sunburns. The thing I will most remember is tipping over in the canoe and having to collect my belongings as they floated away! More than half of the boats tipped, although many were intentional.
- Kelsey Corkery

After a long long night, Nika and I squeezed oranges for breakfast, which hopefully everyone enjoyed. After breakfast we all sat for an hour lecture about Monkey Bay and about the Sibun River, in which we went canoeing today.

When the lecture was over, we all got into the bus and drove near the Sibun River. After a short walk to the Sibun River we passed several orange trees, from where Minute Maid gets their oranges. When we got to the river we all had to pass a swimming test. Thankfully, we all passed. We then had a picnic lunch next to our canoes. When lunch was over, we partnered up and started on our 8 mile canoe journey. The first half of the canoe trip was very exciting. Everyone was involved in a fig fight and splashed cool water with our paddles. After a couple of hours everyone paddled onto the shore and learned how to do a rapid ecological assessment by looking at 5 topics; the flora, the fauna, the geology, the hydrology, and the humans’ impact. After we all split up into 5 little groups, we presented each topic. To our surprise we changed partners and started the second half of the canoeing trip. The second half of the trip was relaxing and I was able to really enjoy the scenery.
-Mary Castaneda


I woke up this morning at 6:07 to the gorgeous view of a mosquito net in my face. Once I stepped outside, however, the morning truly was glorious. It was much cooler than the night before (or maybe I was just used to it now).

A cold shower is just the thing for a hot Belizean morning. After the wonderful fresh orange juice made by three of my classmates, it was a small talk about watersheds, and then we were off to the Sibun River. We took our swimming tests in a large pool of water off the river, and then ate lunch.

I managed to get a sunburn, probably because of constantly getting in and out of the canoe into the water. Later after dinner, Oswald (the eleven year old son of the cook, our newest group member) found a tarantula and was showing it around, and Luke found a frog, but it got away. Right now, I’m sitting in the cantina listening to Nika scream. Oswald threw a leaf onto her and everyone thought it was a tarantula. Okay, everyone’s calming down now, and it’s time for me to go to bed.
- Ellie Gold




Nika and Mary squeeze fresh orange juice for breakfast


Allison, Colin and Ellie set up an experiment to figure out how fast the river is running.


Still looking alive after our 8 mile canoe!

August 1, 2006

Surprisingly enough, the 10-hour travel to Belize was not as bad as I had suspected. The time on the plane seemed to go by pretty fast, which was good. We finally arrived in the international airport near Belize City. The first thing that struck us was how hot and humid the environment was. The immigration officers were definitely not the friendliest bunch, but after getting through them, it was pretty mellow. After about a one hour bus ride, we arrived at Monkey Bay Camp. My first impressions of the camp and Belize in general were not good, for about the first two hours everyone was a bit on edge. We got over that though when we got to the kitchen. They served tostadas, banana bread, and freshly squeezed orange juice, and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. After dinner, we got a special tour of the only zoo in Belize. We got to see many different species of snakes, large cats, rodents, mountain cows (tapir), birds, and other stuff. The monkeys and the large cats were probably the most exciting. I am really looking forward to the rest of the trip, and hopefully we will all stay hydrated and lathered up with bug repellent.
- John Helfrich


Luke holds a boa constrictor during our night tour of the Belize Zoo

ECO Journey Belize

In less than a week, we will all be meeting in Belize for the adventure of a lifetime! All of us at Creative Education are very excited to have your son or daughter as a participant in our Watershed and Marine Ecology ECO Journey. We are positive that this program will be a rewarding and inspiring experience for your child and we thank you for allowing them to partake in this ECO Journey.

We wanted to let you know about the weblog that we will be posting during our ECO Journey. Although Internet access will be very limited, each evening a few students will write about our adventures. Every few days, or whenever we can access the Internet, we will be posting these blog entries as well as posting photos of our journey. Please check in throughout the program at: http://www.creativeed.org/wpbelize2006.html to follow along! Feel free to share this website with friends or family.