Stephen at Itzamna

It was my privilege to spend the better part of two weeks as an intern for a community-based organization called the Itzamna Society with the purpose of developing and managing Eljio Panti National Park and promoting biodiversity conservation, cultural patrimony, and community development through education.  Being named after the ancient Mayan Lord of heaven who served as priest, author and benevolent friend of man and their creation, the Itzamna Society seeks to continue those roles within the nearby Yucatec Maya farming villages of San Antonio, Cristo Rey and El Progresso. The association consists of active and involved volunteer members representing each respective community, their agriculture, archaeological ruins and natural resources. Their success in making unified decisions of how to manage local lands is obvious and encouraging as each village is healthy and thriving. They value the ecological and cultural importance of the area and are committed to its preservation and sustainable development for the future.  In addition to possessing strong leadership skills, many members have received training including forest planning and management, organic cultivation, and conservation awareness.   My tasks consisted of writing and designing environmental education literature on the ecological, cultural and mythological significance that the Jaguar or “Chack-Mool" has within the Yucatec Mayan society.  In addition I joined a few other local guides for a three- day trek to assess the biological distribution and range of Jaguars and Pumas by tracking their presence among and throughout the EPNP rainforest jungle.

Nick at the Zoo

Nicholas Voss- Zoo Internship

 

            This internship was simply an amazing experience; I worked at the Belize Zoo for 2 weeks that seemed to have flown by so fast. As I write this at the end of my time there, the memories of a bittersweet departure are still fresh in my head. Amongst amazing and lifetime opportunities we formed strong friendships. The zookeepers were a joy to work with, and taught us so much from how the zoo works, from animals in the zoo to the birds all around us. They were also a strong insight to the cultures from which they come from, which was mostly Hispanic, or Mopan Mayan. We followed their duties closely through out the day. This included preparing food, cleaning cages, zoo upkeep, and of course the delivery of the foods to the animals. The opportunities to be so up close and personal with Scarlet Macaws, Tapirs, Anteaters, Jaguars, and many others, taught me a great deal of respect for both the animals and the ones who provide the care for them.

            During the work experience, staying with a Belizean family completed the cultural experience, completely immersing me into the Belizean culture. From work to quality family dinner conversation, I was easily able to practice both Spanish and Creole speaking, as well as grow close to the family. 

Liz at the Zoo

Giving a jaguar a tummy massage and in turn receiving a lick on the face, tossing slimy pig livers into the awaiting jaws of a gigantic crocodile, and being face to face with scarlet macaws, river otters, spider monkeys, and kinkajous as you hand feed them…….only happens on the Discovery Channel right? Wrong. While interning at the Belize Zoo, all of the above were simply daily tasks that I “had” to do. While some of the work was less than glamorous (it was near impossible to not have a rainbow of juices on your shirt after cutting hundreds of bananas, watermelons, papayas, and a whole array of meats), the unbelievable experiences had at the Belize Zoo, such as getting to play worship songs with a fellow CCSP interning student as some of the rehabilitating jaguars purred in the background, made all of the hard work more than worth while. Not only were the animal interactions unreal, but the days spent with the keepers (whom were nice enough to put up with my kindergarten level Spanish), were full of amazing insight into another culture that is very rich in the aspects of life that matter most. Whether it was being mere inches from endangered animals, preparing endless food plates, or getting to know the local Belizeans, the Belize Zoo internship was a series of one unforgettable experience after another. 

Jesse's Internship at Gale's Point

Well, how can I capture my internship in 200 words? Cant really I suppose. So here is an attempt to share pieces of what it was like:

My internship was a homestay and internship combined. I lived and worked with Emmeth (said “Emmet”) Young, who is a djembe master. He makes, plays, teaches and is totally passionate about djembe.

I lived in a little wooden shack up on stilts, which had a balcony with a hammock on it. On exceptionally windy nights on our narrow lagoon-framed peninsula of Gales Point (serisously narrow! Only 200ft wide where I was), my shack would rock back and forth in the breeze.

            Instead of feeling like I was doing a formal “internship,” my time felt more like I got to live with and experience the life of the Young family in all that it entailed for two whole weeks. It was a beautiful privelage to share it with them. By the end I had gained a huge respect and love for Emmeth and his family. They truly are amazing, love-filled people who want to be a positive influence on the village.

So here is what the internship looked like for me:

 

DRUMS. Making them, playing them..learning tons!

Random tasks: sweeping, raking, dishes…etc.

Learning new recipes: Sere (traditional Creole dish with coconut milk, cassava and fish), and learning and helping make grape fruit wine.

Eating good food, including A LOT of fresh fish.

Maping out a football field and putting in goal posts. Rallying the youth then to clear it…then playing some barefoot matches with all the youth of the village (all ages).

Beautiful deep conversations over squeezing grape fruits (to the point of having citris wrinkled hands).

Other good conversations over 500ml sprite bottles at the local restaurant (“gentles cool spot”).

Roasting cashews on an open fire.

Sunrises and sunsets, both over water (we were on a peninsula in a lagoon, remember?). all of which left me thinking of the psalm that says that truly only a fool says there is not God.

Trash runs in a boat.

Seeing manatees.

Existing barefoot.

Breathing life in.

Missing friends.

Being rooted more in who I am as a child of God.

Learning about what it means to love people.

Being immersed in a new culture.

Starting new friendships.

And so much more…I could go on and on, but am well over 200 words now. But here's a picture instead.

It was an incredible experience!

 

 

Christine's Internship

Christine Prins

Internship at the Belize Botanic Gardens

            In my two weeks as the Gardens I had an opportunity to work on many different areas of gardening and horticulture and with many different people.  Every morning I would work in the nursery and help with weeding, turning, re-potting, mulching, etc.  I also helped make labels to become familiar with the plants in the gardens.  In the late morning I worked up-keep related work.  I wood-chipped paths, pulled some weeds, and sifted and turned compost.  I also helped augment some of the Visitor’s Center displays.  This included creating a logwood dye display with a spectrum of colors, finding info on the plants in display, collecting specimens and making picture frames. 

            I got to do some special work with the orchids in the house and the nursery.  In some afternoons I was researching information on CO2 uptake and finding photo links for the gardens website.  I would pick some fruit throughout the day as well.  The experience was complete with a trip to Mountain Pine Ridge to collect some bark, then a nice refreshing swim at the local waterfall, Big Rock Falls.  Throughout the week I got to learn some Spanish and Mayan, and learned to recognize some Creole.

            During the two weeks at my internship, I did not return home to the Nab.  Instead, I got to spend each weeknight with the Can family in Corozalito.  They are a family of 11 that primarily speak Spanish, although the oldest girls were quite fluent in English (whew!).  There was limited electricity and no running water and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Never before have I laughed so much about something I didn’t understand.  I learned how to make so many different foods, and it was so much fun living around children again.  I am very sad these two weeks are over as they were incredible.  One of the highlights of Belize so far for sure!

Brindley's time at Sacred Heart

Learning to understand Creole, seeing another part of Belize, playing football (soccer for all you Americans) at least 3 hours a day, learning how to make tortillas from scratch, and understanding that Avril Lavigne is still cool were just some of the additional pleasures I got to enjoy during my two week home stay and internship. I interned with Mr. Julio Innes, the Athletic Director and Physical Education teacher at Sacred Heart College (which is really a high school) in San Ignacio, Belize. Sacred Heart is a Catholic High school of about 750 teens, ranging from ages 13-18. My days were filled with sports, teens, and a hot, hot sun. Three of my favorite things! I had the opportunity to teach softball and basketball classes and coach a girls Junior Varsity football team. I was also able to go to a conference tournament with the team I was helping coach and watch them come in 2^nd place out of 8 teams! My internship experience gave me a better understanding of the Belizean education system, but also gave me the chance to get to know some teens and get a glimpse into their lives.  Along with that experience, I lived with the Torres Family in Benque, Belize for those two weeks. Talk about being immersed in the culture! This was a wonderful time; I played football, volleyball, or went on bike rides every afternoon with Karim (11yrs) and Arelli (9yrs) and I went on walks around town and to band practice with Yesi (15). We also got a family game of family monopoly going on and had amazing home-cooked meals of tortillas, empanadas, rice, beans, chicken, and more every night! It was a huge blessing to be so welcomed into the family. Belize is a beautiful place, filled with beautiful people and these two weeks just made me love and appreciate the culture even more. 

Internships

Students spent the last two weeks interning at different sites around Belize and staying with Belizean families.  This unique opportunity provided students with new and exciting experiences and also the chance to get to know the people and places around them a little bit better.  Below are blog entries written by each of the students.

Kandice O'Grady

I had the opportunity of working at the San Ignacio hotel and resort’s Green Iguana Project during my internship at CCSP. Going into my internship with the Green Iguana Project I had absolutely no experience with any reptiles, little alone iguanas, however the experience was amazing and allowed me to be exposed to Iguanas in a hands on way so that I left my internship with fantastic memories and plenty of reptile knowledge.

 The Green Iguana Project was established in order to educate the public about the Green Iguana, its habitat, and critical situation. So a really great thing about my internship was getting the opportunity to talk to the tourists and pass on the great things I was learning during my internship in hopes that they might do something positive for the Green Iguana and it’s habitat. Some of the most enjoyable visitors are the children groups that come for the Green Iguana tours. Not only were the children adorable and a joy to work with, but being the next generation, they play an essential role in the uncertain future for the Green Iguana. Internship weeks were so amazing because they not only give you the insight into Belizean occupation lifestyles, but you also get the chance to stay with a host family t

hroughout your entire internship. Overall my internship was one of the greatest and most memorable moments in my life I learned so much about Belizean life while learning tons about iguanas, and also discovering a whole lot more about myself. 

Autumn Brown

I have just spent two amazing weeks working at the Belize Botanical Gardens (BBG) and living with a Belizean family as part of the CCSP internship program.  The BBG is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  Everywhere you look there are new and exciting plants. I’ve never been one to get excited about plants, but these weeks have changed me. I can now point out, with confidence, pride, and even a little excitement, a heliconia, at least five different kinds of palms (such as the Madagascar Triangle Palm in the above picture), Brazilian Joy Weed, the Alpinia purpurata, the jippijabba, the Madagascar dragon tree, and so many others. It has given me new respect for the biodiversity ever present around me in Belize. 

Living with a Belizean family was unlike anything I’ve done before.  I enjoyed trying new and interesting foods, especially from their small orchard.  I had the juice from a fresh coconut and chewed on sugar cane.  I sampled a tamarind and squeezed fresh orange juice.  Noellia, my amazing host mother, taught me how to make flour and corn tortillas and was unbelievably patient with my very dusty Spanish.  These past two weeks have been one of the highlights of my time here so far.

Reading Week

The students were given a week's time to read and prepare for their classes to come. Some of the books on this list include Wendell Berry's Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community; Steve Bouma-Prediger's For the Beauty of the Earth; Osha Gray Davidson's The Enchanted Braid; Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata's Tropical Nature; and Bryant Myer's Walking with the Poor.  Aside from all the reading, students were able to visit some of Belize's national parks, caves, and waterfalls.  

A group of great men once said that "there are no wrong turns, only new adventures," and I think we proved that on our trip to Five Blues National Park.  We missed our turn a few different times but that did not deter anyone from having a good time.  After crossing a dry river, opening a gate into someone's citrus, sampling a few of the roadside treats did we find our destination.  The rain and overcast skies might sour the experience of a group less hearty than ourselves, but we made the most of the park and the weather with cave exploration, impromptu cave drumming, a jungle run, and a quick dip in the healing waters of Five Blues.  
 

Between bouts of reading bouts of ping-pong were had.  Five dinning room tables were pulled together, one sheet was folded and pinned, two chairs assembled, and 10 people were put into chorus to bring about a great night of ping-pong.  

The road leading up to Mountain Pine Ridge is rugged and worn, not unlike ourselves.  Here we are outside of the Rio Frio cave.  We spent the morning and into the afternoon exploring the industrious work of water through limestone.  Stalagmites and stalactites, rivulets and columns, squeezes and spiders, all were experienced in these beautiful caves.