Our organization, the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, has been struggling recently with how best to externally communicate what we do. Are we a conservation group? Are we a humanitarian group? With a mission statement defining us as a community-oriented organization, our position as the manager of two protected areas in the Toledo District slightly clashes with our community outreach side. As a conservation group, we are up against slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting of endangered species, fishing, and extraction of wood and thatch house materials from our pristine nature preserves. As a humanitarian group, we work to promote sustainable development through community outreach and livelihoods programs. But the desire to maintain the biodiversity of our protected areas puts us into direct conflict with our buffer communities as they continue to push into the nature preserve.
On the conservation front, we have been under attack because of the restrictions we put on access to the Bladen Nature Reserve (BNR). Only researchers and students are allowed to enter the park after being awarded very specific permits. Belizeans are putting pressure on Ya’axché to open up the protected area for use by all locals. As we continue to emphasize that we are protecting the natural resources of BNR for future generations of Belizeans, we are reminded that most researchers and students entering BNR are foreigners.
On the humanitarian front, I have been concerned that we may be creating a “culture of dependency” among our buffer communities. As our projects focus on poverty alleviation, community development work is integral. This includes agro-forestry projects, organic gardening endeavors, gender-specific programs, and business development training. Because our funders like to see the direct benefits to the villages, we are often just handing free tools, seedlings, machinery, irrigation systems, and supplies to our participating farmers. While this really helps to jump start enthusiasm, it doesn’t build ownership of the equipment. It isn’t surprising to see a $3000 rotor-tiller sitting dormant in utter disrepair because no one takes responsibility for its care. But even so, communities are starting to just expect these “benefits” of their impoverished condition and are putting Ya’axché in the role of a reluctant Santa Claus.
Despite these hard days, it pays to have just one farmer attending an integrated pest management training express particular interest in organic gardening, or one young girl on a marketing field trip ask me to help with establishing a women’s group in her village. It reminds me that we are doing good, and that we’ll continue doing good.
For more information on conservation work in Southern Belize, check out the Ya’axché Conservation Trust website.
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