Belize Journal - Spring 2008 Semester, CCSP

The Slackline

2008-05-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Something that continually tested our patience and skill this semester was the infamous slack line. In this love hate relationship, we got to experience the progress of each other as the weeks went by. For all the failed attempts and face plants onto the grass, a successful walk across the line, or even a good solid 3 steps made up for it. Class breaks served as an ideal time to hit up the line, taking a few tries while the tree still provides the shade needed for concentration. There’s always a higher level of patience to be achieved.

By Nick Voss

Marine Ecology

2008-05-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

“Like love, the coral reef is a great mystery that sweeps over us, bypassing our rational minds entirely and eliciting feelings we didn’t know were in us”—The Enchanted Braid, Osha Gray Davidson.

It is no wonder many of us wax poetic when describing the rain forests of the sea. This semester we returned to Calabash Caye for marine ecology. Here are a few poems to give you a glimpse, a taste, of our experience there…

Breathing.

I hear breathing.

My breathing. Steady and deep. In and out.

Waves.

I hear them too.

But they are gentle background noise of that other world above this

aquatic jungle.

And popping.

I hear a clutter of cracking and popping as fishes and other secret

organisms bustle about their business.

Freely and seemingly effortlessly going about their lives for survival

on the reef.

Taste.

I taste salt, and honestly that is all I taste.

Warm salt water. (later to be crust and dust in my hair and salt

crystals on my skin)

This is what I feel.

It envelopes me.

I dive and am totally taken in by this dimension. Their Dimension.

Colors.

I see colors.

All colors:

Black, white, brown, tan, yellow, neon green, grey, dark blue, deep

red, shimmering emerald green, orange, royal purple, line, sand, ash,

and on and on.

Shapes.

I see shapes, and patterns too.

Round, square, tall, short, cylindrical, stripes, checkers, dots,

scales, fins, eyes, mesh-like fans, cones, half circles, shapes and

patterns that don’t even have names!

I am encompassed by it all.

My senses are saturated.

This place is teaming.

This place is alive.

I am alive.

I breathe.

--Jessie Borden

Beneath the Waters:

The ocean swells pulse through my body

Even after I leave the waves

The salt lightly peppers my skin

The sights and colors brighten my eyes

And the absence of sounds makes it feel

Like I am floating in a dream world.

There is so much life out in the open

And much, much more life beyond

What our eyes can see

At the surface level, which is all I can pierce

For the abilities of humans have not yet unlocked

The web of intricacies only God could knit together

I am privileged, one of only some

That are allowed to peek into a time machine

That shows the alternating scars and healings

The earth has inflicted on this strong, yet vulnerable

Underworld.

--Christine Prins

I have often looked out across the sea -

played in its waves,

tasted its salt in my nostrils.

It was always there, something to entertain

on warm summer days.

Never did I wonder, nor did I suspect,

What was present beneath its waves.

Its coral reef is full of beauty

It is an undulating labyrinth,

dappled by the diffuse sunlight,

a shimmering and delicate landscape.

It is an intriguing mystery.

As its cool water envelops me,

I see only the life beneath me,

hear only my own breath and an alien crackling.

Below me:

elkhorn, staghorn,

blue tang, blue head,

squirrel fish, cow fish,

damsel fish, angel fish.

The complexities of their lives are beyond imagining.

But I enjoy observing,

wondering,

invading

for a short time.

--Autumn Brown

God and Nature II

2008-05-20T14:05:00.001-07:00

“So now what?” This is the question we asked ourselves in God and Nature II. It is relatively easy to believe that Christians should take care of creation but how we should go about doing that is much trickier. Should we look primarily to market-based solutions to deal with the ecological mess we’ve gotten ourselves into? Or, should we focus on being agents for change at the grassroots level? Is some kind of combination of both desirable? These are questions we wrestled with throughout the week.

Our discussions this week took place in the wake of our homestay with Mennonite friends in Barton Creek. We have a lot to learn from them, if we have the ears to hear and the eyes to see. For me (Courtnay), the “take-away” message from that experience is this: what the groaning earth needs is people who will live differently. We can’t trust in technology to save us; technology carries with it many unintended consequences. Nor can we trust in the market that turns greed into a virtue to save us. What the world needs is people who are peculiar, people who catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God in our midst and align their lives with that reality. The Mennonites in Barton Creek are just such a people. They help each other grow their own food, make their own lumber, build their own houses, sew their own clothes, and travel by horse and buggy. They are patient. They are a community in the truest sense of the world. Are they perfect? No. Should we all become Old Order Mennonites? No. But…don’t our single-family homes, with a two-car garage, and a TV in each bedroom seem hollow in comparison? Are we not dying in North America from loneliness and isolation due to a lack of community? As Shane Claiborne reminds us, the question we should be asking is not “is there life after death”, but rather, “is there life before death”.

Forest Ecology

2008-05-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary offered all of its many gifts and blessings to us during our week of Forest Ecology. Professor Vern Peters made the trip down from Canada to teach us about seed dispersal, light competition, disturbances, and the impact that birds have on the composition of the forest.

Our days were filled with early morning bird walks, morning lectures, field lectures, tubing, night hikes, the monitoring of leaf cutter ants, watching Nick perform 10 acrobatic stunts, run-ins with bats, delicious meals, and Motmot sounding hammers.

On the drive down to Cockscomb a special stop was made to investigate a rather large, dead snake that had been spotted on the side of the road. Looking at the dead boa was not enough for some in the group and a knife was quickly retrieved to examine the contents of the snake's belly. Autumn and Kandice are visibly disturbed.

It is hard not to enjoy a class where owl butterflies, white-necked jacobins, sprawling ceibas, and picturesque waterfalls are all active and encouraged members of your class. The students came away with, other than a load of bug bites, a deeper understanding of tropical forests and the many processes involved to maintain and preserve their health.

The Birds of Belize

2008-05-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

"I write a poem by dint of mighty cerebration, the yellow-leg walks a better one just by lifting his foot."

Aldo Leopold

Belize plays stage to so many poems and songs all written and sung with an enviable ease. It seems that each tree and bird, hill and cloud are often lifting their subtle voices in praise of the Creator. We are thankful and made humble by these secret and sacred exchanges between Created and Creator.

This tricolored heron took an angler's break before returning to its daily task of fish finding.

The anhinga, the cormorant's elegant older sister, sits with feathers mottled white and ash to dry its wings in an afternoon's sun.

A boat-billed heron looks on after being startled awake from its daytime roost. These herons find the fishing easier at night when fish are sleeping and stationary.

These jabiru storks are tending to their nest in hopes of fledging a young stork that will one day stand at a height of 55 1/2 inches and soar with wings stretched out that reach 141 inches.

The tongues of these pale-billed woodpeckers can stretch out 5 and 6 inches to retrieve ants, termites and other boring insects.

Its diet of apple snails provided the inspiration for the naming of this snail kite. The river was riddled with these beauties perching or soaring low over the water.

Guess-Who's-Eye-It-Is

2008-05-05T13:30:00.001-07:00

See if you can guess who's who! Good luck, it's harder than you think!

They Say It's Your Birthday

2008-05-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are a big deal here at CCSP. Not just a big deal but a big celebration, a big cake, big hugs, big plans, and big fun. A few weeks ago we were lucky to be able to celebrate four birthdays in one week. So of course that meant lots of parties.

For Stephen's big day he got to lead the group on an expedition to "Mount Friesen" while overcoming obstacles such as the "Prickly Tickly Logs of Pain" and the lava pit. Needless to say, Stephen's experience on the trail and enthusiasm for anything out-of-doors met with success and the group enjoyed the treats that awaited them on top of "Mount Friesen".

Liz had to share her birthday with an all-day Environmental History field-trip but nevertheless her birth was acknowledged every hour on the hour starting from 5:00 AM. For each hour, a different person took a turn giving her a gift and leading the group in singing "Happy Birthday". Later on we made a "bathroom stop" at Amigos Restaurant where in addition to eating a nice birthday meal Liz got to see some home movies and blow out some candles.

Jesse was next with his 21st birthday but instead of waking up with a hangover he woke up with everyone jumping on his bed and giving him cards and an earful of singing. And all day long he got lots of hugs, pats on the back, and other sorts of affection because we all know that's what he loves.

The next day was Pete's birthday. Miss Martha and Miss Shelly (our lovely cooks) showered him with specially designed meals, juicy pineapple, and confetti that fell on him as he opened the kitchen door. Later that night we had a birthday bash for Pete and Jesse. We decorated Jesse's dreds, wrote poems for Pete, and all played a game of "guess-who's-eye-it-is". Oh what a week.

Meet Anita

2008-04-04T20:33:00.001-07:00

Many would see a rather large, hairy, eight legged creepy crawler, but we here at the Nab simply see Anita, the newest addition to our community. Jesse found her and has a particular fondness for her, insisting when we named her that “it has to be a girl name so I can have a relationship with it.”…….. whatever that means. She resides on the porch of the boys’ cottage in a lovely trashcan (a temporary home) that has been equipped with a bottle cap of water, twigs, and fresh bugs caught for her every night. Whether she’s taking naps on our hands, resting on our heads, or pooping on our arms, Anita has become the 17th member of our little family here in Belize.

Tyler Brown's Internship Report

2008-04-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

by Tyler Brown

Kings Children Home has always been dedicated to assisting children in Belize who have lost their parents through death, have been abandoned, abused, or neglected helping them to become healthy, upright, and productive citizens. They teach through Biblical example and instruction, fostering personal relationships between the children and God. They hope to provide the opportunity for the children to have a meaningful life in a caring environment. I was able to three weeks helping out at Kings which allowed me to see more of the true Belizean culture rather than just what the tourists see, it also helped me better understand the people and especially the language. I was very amazed at the amount of order that was kept in the Home even though there were some fifty children living there. My role while I was there was generally to help in the kitchen, preparing food or cleaning up around the place and also spending time with the children doing tutoring, having conversations, or simply playing with tem. Since I have been there I am proud to say that I think I can cook rice from scratch and not have it be sticky or crunchy, and can understand Creole, the local language, far better than I could before.

Erin True's Internship Report

2008-04-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

by Erin True

During the three weeks that I spent as an intern I worked at two places. For the first two weeks of the internship I was able to work at Mount Carmel Primary School with Mrs. Wade’s standard two class. While I was there I spent time teaching, grading, and providing individual instruction for the students. Form this I was able to learn how to prepare lesson plans and grow in my understanding about classroom management. The second part of my internship was spent at Marla’s House of Hope. This is a home for children who have been abused. Many of the children have come out of the sex trade. Currently there are fourteen children who live at Marla’s. While I was there I was able to help with cleaning, tutoring, and playing. In the morning I helped clean the dishes and the floors. Later I would help the older girls with their homework. After that I would play with the younger children and try to keep them away from the television. From this experience my heart for children was able to grow. Many of my priorities were changed during this internship. I learned that when I am gone it will not matter what kind of car I drive or what I where but if I can help a child the world may be a better place.

Belizean Worlds Project

2008-04-04T13:13:00.001-07:00

Environmental History uses stories to illuminate the changing relationship between people and nature. The Belizean Worlds Project presents the stories of those who have lived in the region and experienced its pleasures and frustrations. These people shaped, and were shaped by the contours of the landscape. Here we present the mental and physical worlds of a few who perceived and valued the land in different ways, wrested a living from its resources, and came to understand the possibilities and limits of God’s wonderful creation.

The World of Captain Yallahs

2008-04-04T13:02:00.001-07:00

by Jesse Borden

Sailing on the high seas, raiding, pillaging, killing, fueling the black market, hiding and dodging capture were all elements of the life of the notorious pirates that were the first European settlers in Belize. Captain Yallahs was one of these whose story captures some of the typical characteristics of the legendary pirate life. Yallahs was a Dutchman, who sailed for years as a pirate with the other British buccaneers. However in 1672 he accepted a large sum of money to switch his allegiance to the Spanish, and for many years he was employed by the Spanish to raid British ships and steal their valuable cargo of logwood and mahogany on its way back to Europe. He was a very successful pirate and captured at least a dozen different British ships for the Spanish. In fact, he was so good at his job that the British hired Captain John Wilgres to hunt him down. However Wilgres soon joined the buccaneers in their pirate ways and never went after Yallahs (www.historyhuntersinternational.org).

So what does all of this have to do with environmental history? Well, Yallahs was part of the pirate culture, in a specific time in history, and so represents a specific mindset and way of life that had direct impact on the environment of that time. The three elements of looking at him in regards to environmental history are the natural history of the environment the pirates were found in, the human modes of production being utilized, and their perceptions of the world around them (Worster, 289-307).

The natural environment of these pirates was the coast of Belize. Belize’s coastline is made up of a limestone shelf, which is very porous. This allows the water from the ocean and land to travel and remain underground and thus not flood the land (Sutherland, 1-2). This landscape also means that the coastline is made up of lagoons, mangroves and intricate mazes of rivers between these things. In fact mangroves are found in Belize up to thirty miles inland (Sutherland, 3). These bays, lagoons, and river channels provided an excellent hideout for the pirates ambushing other ships of running from them. These rivers and lagoons were lined by thick forests, which were the source of the valuable logwood and mahogany being exported to Europe.

These forests, as the source for the timber being exported, play right into the modes of production that surrounded the pirates during this time. The primary structure for production and money making was the logwood industry between Britain and Honduras. Though the triangle trade was certainly a part of this system of trade, the logwood industry, “unlike the triangle trade…sailed directly back and forth across the Atlantic” (Finamore, 40). And this back and forth trade was the main means of production that the pirates were part of. However, though this legitimate business was the foundation of the pirates work, they then took this already established mode of production and used it to engage in trade on the black market. They did this by raiding ships already full of valuable cargo, and selling the cargo they found on the black market, often in Jamaica. So they were engaged in the illegal mode of production that was a branch off of the logwood industry.

All of this then adds up to give the perception of value that the pirates had for the natural world. I think that the primary characteristic of Yallahs', and other pirates, perception of the natural world would be selfishness. Their entire view of nature was from a place of selfishness. Nothing was valued for its beauty, but purely for how it could help them get rich. Their drive was simply to gain money however possible. This is seen so clearly in the fact that Yallahs had no loyalty to any one nation, but just worked wherever he could make the most money. Thus, nature was something to be used and taken advantage. The forest was only worth anything because it was the source of logs that they could then sell for money. The lagoons, mangroves and rivers were not valuable watersheds that contributed to the bigger ecosystem, but were simply good places to hide or transport goods. So pirates in general had a very anthropocentric view of the environment. Thus they did not really care about protecting it, or using it in moderation. Yallahs, and most pirates, operated in a mentality that was about using whatever you could to benefit oneself in the moment. So, these wild-sea-faring pirates were very much a part of environmental history, as are all peoples and cultures and civilizations. All of us are in some way or another connected to the environment and dependant on it.

A Belizean lagoon, a possible hiding place for pirates like Yallahs.

A typical buccaneer (pirate).

Pirates engaging in raiding another boat.

Sources:

Finamore, Daniel. Pirate Water, Sailing to Belize in the mahogany trade.The Boydell Press in association with the National Maritime Museum

Sutherland, Anne. The Making of Belize Globalization in the Margins. Westport: An Imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. 1-150

Worster, Donald. Doing Environmental History. 289-307

www.historyhuntersinternational.org

The World of Thomas Potts

2008-04-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

by Christine Prins

Thomas Potts was born in 1740 in England. In his 20’s, he moved to Belize (then British Honduras) in hopes of becoming a successful logwood cutter¹. He arrived on St. George’s Caye, Belize in time to sign Burnaby’s laws. This was a set of codes outlining the rules for owning logwood, and later mahogany, works². Within a few years of faithfully cutting logwood for England, Potts and 11 other rich white men owned 4/5 of the loggable land in Belize³. He then became a magistrate for the local government of St. George’s Caye in 1790. During his service as a magistrate, the Battle of St. George’s Caye broke out between the British settlers and the ruling Spanish government⁴. Potts encouraged the settlers to abandon the Caye, but he instead was ousted from his position on panel. He continued his logwood operations and obtained much wealth until his death in 1806.

Logwood is a skinny tree of no more than a foot around and is armed with sharp thorns on its branches. The branches grow entwined in each other create a scraggly mess that is difficult to pass through. The bark is a light blue-gray color and the leaves are quite small and round. It is located along the banks of rivers, lakes, and lagoons and also in any wetlands. It requires squishy, damp soil and thrives in brackish waters. The swampy Northern Belize has ample amounts of logwood, but there also some available in south along rivers such as the Sibun. The heartwood of the tree is removed and used as an extract for clothing dyes.

Another operation similar logwood that settlers like Potts also endeavored is the extraction of Mahogany. Once the supply of logwood exceeded demand, the price dropped so much that there was no longer much profit. The settlers shifted to a more difficult but more profitable industry of Mahogany cutting. Mahogany is a tree prized for its beauty in furniture and is shipped in whole log form instead of in pieces. Mahogany grows deeper in the forest and requires more scouting to locate trees in the interior.

Logwood is cut from the tree. The small trunk size makes it easy to remove. The white sapwood is stripped from the deep red heartwood. The pieces of heartwood are then put on to trucks to haul to the river banks. On the river, the logs are put into cradles that are buoyant enough to float down the river and prevent the logwood from getting wet. When the river meets the ocean, the logwood is loaded onto large ships headed towards England.

Mahogany trees are cut down with more effort as the trunks are much larger. Because the trees are located deeper in the forest, transport is more difficult. The logs are carried by truck from the cutting site to the river. When conditions are too wet for the truck the logs are put onto skids that drag the logs through the over the mud. On the banks of the river the logs are squared off and sent floating down the river. At the mouth of the river, the mahogany is loaded onto a ship bound for England⁵.

Settlers like Thomas Potts came to Belize for one purpose: profit. They wanted to set up operations to remove what they saw as a precious commodity and then move on to the next plot of land. A quote from Miller’s An Environmental History of Latin America sums up the values of these English settlers:

However, one European response was universal. Above al else, humans want to know nature’s utility. The first question regarded what was edible…The second question was whether or not nature could be packaged, processed, traded, shipped, and turned a profit.⁶

These people were simply consumers of the land. They didn’t understand the cultures surrounding them or the history of the land they were on. All they thought about was their hopeful profit and whatever means it took to get it. They had a method of taking over land, stripping it of its precious commodities, and then moving on without care or concern about what it did to the environment or the people who still had to live on the land. These men really did have dollar signs over their eyes.

An example of prime logwood growing location. The New River Lagoon, Orange Walk, Belize.

A map used to map out the logwood Territory. Also displays the idea of land us for a profit.

The logwood processing: removing the heartwood from the Sapwood.

Thomas Potts

¹www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1g1-146215368.html. 27 March 2008.

²Burdon, John Alder. Archives of British Honduras. Sifton Praed and CO, London. 1931. Pp 100-107

³Bolland, Nigel and Assad Shoman. Land in Belize 1765-1871. University of the West Indies, Jamaica. 1977. Pp 15, 19

⁴ambergriscaye.com/forum. 27 March 2008

⁵Morris, D.. The Colony of British Honduras. London, 1883. Pp 47-49

⁶Miller, Shawn William. An Environmental History of Latin America. Cambridge University Press. Pg. 67

The World of Maria the Slave

2008-04-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

By Brindley Beckwith

Maria was a female slave convicted of murder and sentenced to death, she was later commuted to transportation in 1826. Although, regarding history, her story is familiar to some, it is more important to understand the background of slavery in Belize and the way of life for people like Maria. The main reason that slavery became a big part of Belize was because of the logging economy. This started in the 18^th Century and went on up until the late 19^th Century.

Slavery in Belize was very different from other parts of the world, even the Caribbean because the slaves in Belize were used mostly for logging, instead of sugar production and work on plantations.[1] This meant that slaves in Belize worked in scattered gangs in the forests, separated from their families in Belize City. The interesting thing about Maria's life is that because slavery was so distinctive in Belize, the roles of males and females were entirely different.

As described by Bolland[2], Maria would have been left behind in Belize city to live with a family, her role could be a variety of these mentioned washerwomen, housemaids, servants, chambermaids, cooks, seamstresses, nurses, or bakers. Women were more subject to violence and punishment by their owner because they were always around and vulnerable to abuse without their men around. While Maria would be taking care of the domestic work and being under close watch of her master, the men would most likely be out in the forests.

Bolland[3] mentions how the experience of slaves in Belize was different from others because their role was timber extraction. This meant a continual shifting of location, smaller groups of men working with each other, and the masters treated them very differently. They did not need to supervise as much because of the smaller groups and he had less authority and no need to use much coercive power, which is a drastic difference to the role of masters in a plantation setting.

Because slaves had some control and power in numbers they became fairly confident at times and did stage numerous revolts. Bolland mentions that slaves would go as far abortion, suicide, murder, desertion, and revolt to escape from slavery. Maria was one of those, she just wanted to be free and felt like there were no other options.

This is an example of logging in the 1800s. It is a long, hard process with a lot of different jobs. This picture shows the axe men’s job, which is to cut down the trees. This job was not easy and fairly dangerous and the axe used was heavy. The axe men stood on a springy platform a "barbecue" about 12 or 15 feet high.

This image shows slaves being auctioned off upon arrival in Belize City. The majority of them came from Africa, but there was also a mix from West Indies and others that came through Jamaica. Especially in Belize, when working in the timber industries families were split up. Women and Children would go with families to do domestic work, while Men would be grouped with a few others to work primarily on logging, with occasional agriculture work.

[1] O. Nigel Bolland, Assad Shoman, “Land in Belize 1765-1871” The Foundation of Settlement, ch.1,p. 25-27

[2] O. Nigel Bolland, “Slavery without Sugar” Diversity in Caribbean Economy and Society Since the 17^th Century, Ch.2, p.44-45

[3] O. Nigel Bolland, “Slavery without Sugar” Diversity in Caribbean Economy and Society Since the 17^th Century,Ch.2, p.36,39

The World of Cole Chamberlain

2008-04-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

By Liz Thaete

After being “discovered” in the late 15^th century, the New World became host to a procession of European immigrants ready to impose their ideologies onto the native way of life. Come the second half of the 19^th century, the Latin American coastline was now receiving a multitude of immigrant ships not only from Europe but also from the now established States as well. These immigrants flocked to the foreign coast with plans of harvesting and cultivating the rich environment for the end means of a hefty profit1. Cole Chamberlain, a confederate immigrant of the 1860s who tried to start a sugar plantation, was one such hopeful.

One of the overarching truths of the invasion of the New World was that humans were curious about the newfound utility of nature, and were determined to turn a profit from it.2 The disunity from nature that ran prominent in the mindset of Cole Chamberlain’s world stood in stark contrast to the Native Americans whose culture ran deep with reverence for and unity with nature. Where the Mayas saw sacred land that was to be used only as necessary, the Chamberlains saw a perfect strip of dirt that would suffice perfectly for a logwood or sugarcane stand.

The then British province of Belize became home to many such logwood and sugarcane harvesters, and the New River was at the heart of the despoliation. Running NS along the forested wetlands of Northern Belize, the New River was first home to the flourishing Maya city of Lamanai. However, with the 19^th century came the flood of immigrants such as Cole Chamberlain. Setting up mills along the river’s edge and enlisting the labor forces of the natives, sugarcane became a bountiful profit for the money-hound immigrants.It is easy to perceive such immigrants as villains; however, it can also be said that they were merely a product of their world around them. With fellow confederate immigrants such as Charles Swett sending back success stories of a profitable land3, and with no cultural upbringing that would elicit a unity with the land, it is no wonder so many hopefuls carelessly exploited the lush environment for their own gain.

Figure 1. The New River that runs through Northern Belize, as seen above, provided rich soil for harvesting sugarcane along the banks as well as a means of transportation for exporting the cane.

Figure 2. This sugar mill found at Lamanai, which was a primary means of processing sugar out of cane from 1860-1880, has since been overtaken by a Strangler Fig.

1 Swett, Charles. A Trip to British Honduras and to San Pedro, Republic of Honduras.1869

2 Miller, Shawn, W. An Environmental History of Latin America.Ch.2: Nature’s Conquest

3 Swett, Charles. A Trip to British Honduras and to San Pedro, Republic of Honduras.1869

The World of Heinrich H. Dueck

2008-04-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

by Stephen Cupery

So how after all did the Mennonites, in their varieties of communes come to the small out-of-the-way country of Belize – or British Honduras, as it was know then? And how have they kept so unique and intrinsically distinct religiously and culturally, despite certain societal modifications?

The current settlement of Spanish Lookout just only a few miles north and east of our campus here began with sixteen venture dairy farmers and families (mostly from Canada or Pennsylvania) coming to the Cayo District with intentions to plant a business for commercial agriculture in addition to finding adequate space to practice their Christian faith.

Among those was a gentleman by the name of Heinrich (pronounced Henry) H. Dueck who took the active role as manager for their newly created entrepreneur enterprise simply named “Western Dairy”. It has always been an important part of Mennonite farming history. Farmers in Spanish Lookout, a now Progressive-Order, got more and more the idea, that dairying should be tried here in Belize as well. But how is that possible in this tropical country?

Interestingly enough, their company evolved, expanded and adjusted fittingly to the demand and economic pace of western Belize and beyond. This progressiveness was found dissatisfactory to some though, as persons such as Henry Friesian left the Lookout heading south to found the community of Barton Creek Mennonites, who practice a more traditional ascetic, simpler and socialistic commune.

Heinrich and his “modern Mennonite” entourage nonetheless kept growing not only in health of community but also in prosperity. They acquired used machinery from the U.S for increasing efficiency and productivity of farming, began and develop a cheese and ice cream factory, among other business-enhancing methods. To this day, Spanish Lookout is seen for its westernized techniques and appearances, if not slightly eccentric albeit respectful practices in lifestyle and religion.

The World of W. A. Bowman

2008-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

by Autumn Brown

W. A. Bowman was a banana plantation owner and supporter of United Fruit Company in the first decades of the 1900s. Bowman and his contemporaries would have thought of the natural world only in so far as it could benefit them; it was a purely utilitarian relationship. They used the land in order to make a profit and had no concern for the ecological consequences of their actions.

As a banana plantation owner, Bowman would have bought a plot of land in Belize, clear cut and burned the forest there, and planted 170 banana trees per acre. He would have had paid laborers to help him in this task; they would have likely been West Indian creoles, Mayans, “coolies” from the East Indies, or Caribs, a group that resulted from the intermarriages of Africans and Carib Indians. These people would have been paid to clear the land, plant banana trees, and harvest their fruit.

Bowman was a supporter of the United Fruit Company. This multinational corporation’s rather blatant tactics helped it to form a strong monopoly on banana exports in the Caribbean. They owned the boats that carried the bananas to the United States and used price cuts to force all competitors’ from that market. They eventually got into growing bananas themselves, bought huge tracts of land, and forced small farmers out of the business by controlling prices. The company bribed and intimidated government officials to ensure their company interests were not threatened (Moberg, “Crown Colony as Banana Republic”). They had no respect for the land. When Panama disease began to wipe out entire plantations of banana trees and no cure could be found, United Fruit used their considerable means to run from the fungus. They would clear tracts of land, grow bananas there until the Panama fungus arrived (usually within five to ten years), and then move on, destroying whatever infrastructure they had made for their plantations before they left to prevent other farmers from using it (Tropical Determinism).

Bowman himself was forced out of the banana industry by Panama disease and moved on to citrus, ensuring that the land still gave him a profit.

Figure 1: Bananas growing on the Nabitunich campus. These are not the same species of banana that Bowman or the United Fruit Company would have grown. American consumers during the 1920s demanded the exceptionally sweet and slow ripening Gros Michael and therefore the United Fruit Company grew only this type. The monoculture of this particular species was a dangerous endeavor; it turned out to be particularly susceptible to the Panama disease that ravaged banana plantations across the Caribbean. The bananas we typically buy today in the United States are the Cavendish species, which is highly resistant to the fungus that causes Panama disease. (Miller, Tropical Determinism)

The World of C. Hummel

2008-04-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

by Nick Voss

The Forests in Belize, along with their precious Mahogany and Logwood have been long sought after items in the history of Belize. As the quest for these resources stretch back to the 1700s, it continued until the 20^th century. The social and political structures from the start of the logging exhibitions shaped the environment of Belize and would later result in the actions taken in consequence almost two hundred years later. The actions of course, are conservation measures. From the 1700s, the land was viewed solely for its production, while English settlers continued to stretch their logging operations, they also gained economic and political power over British Honduras. While the Spanish also had their own logging operations, private ownership of the English eventually overpowered the Spanish, and took measures to hold their social status, as well as the land that they logged. The environmental consequences of the growth of this political system later on, in the 20^th century, led to near exhaustion of forest resources.1

With the remnants of English private landowners now being major corporations, they owned half the lands in the colony in the early 20^th century. These were also the best forestlands in Mahogany, Logwood, and Sapodilla trees.1 The Government had to persuade the private companies to establish new logging methods in order to conserve the forest resources, as well as their source of economic stability, which is stretched overseas. Here, C. Hummel was appointed the first conservator of forests. He had experience in foresting from Britain, and now must interact with private companies developing new ways to go about their business to prevent the exhaustion and destruction of the resources altogether.2

These new methods were based on scientific research, in knowing the nature of the forest, when and where to cut, instead of simply stripping the trees and shipping them away. Rather than continually expanding and invading new forests for Mahogany, which was the most expensive and valuable wood, loggers now had to remain within their land and manage it in a way that trees could also grow back, keeping a healthy ecosystem that will sustain trees that could continue to be used for logging in later years. One important question that was asked was, which trees absolutely needed to be taken from Belize, and what could instead be taken from within Britain, saving valuable resources and energy.3

This aided the economic conservation as well as forest conservation. The biggest aspect was that of control. Control over destructive and limitless logging and tapping methods. Mr. Hummel later went from working for the forest department of British Honduras to being manager of the BEC. The BEC was the first company to actively make changes in their foresting, pioneering the way for many other private organizations. They also showed that its possible to maintain commercial interest while practicing sustainable forestry.

The land of British Honduras was first perceived forests heavily in modes of production, ignoring the natural environment’s history, and ignoring all other values of the land, except for profit. The conservation efforts of Mr. Hummel led a change in these perceptions of the forest, including the history and values of the forest, but still retaining the mode of production as the main source of motivation. The forest industry and people of the English colony British Honduras still saw their production and profit most important, but with conservation efforts they applied it in a new way, creating an ideology that sustained the forest’s ecosystem, not for its own sake, but for future production possibilities and continued economic growth. However, This could also be seen as steps towards other conservation measures today, which conserve forests without logging intentions.

1 Boland, Nigel and Shoman, Assad. Land in Belize 1765-1851

2 Oliphant, J.N. Development of Forestry in British Honduras.

3 Oliver, J.W. The Indian Forester: Forestry, Agriculture, Shikar & Travel. Vol 23, 6.

1. Forests in Belize today are cut for logging, as well as cattle grazing (Pictured center) and agriculture. Forest conservation today serves economic and intrinsic value purposes through ecotourism.

2. Logs on the Belize River show how logging shipped Mahogany from forest to seaport in the 18^th century by English settlers.1. Foreign and Privately owned logging industries still exist today in Belize.

3. Foreign and Privately owned logging industries still exist today in Belize.

The World of Sharon Matola

2008-04-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

by Kandice O'Grady

Sharon Matola was American born but is now a proud citizen of Belize. Matola is known for a variety of issues surrounding her passion for animals and the Belizean environment. Matola’s many noteworthy efforts to save the endangered Scarlet Macaw (including her book “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw”) her influential part in the Belize radio station, creating of the only zoo in Belize, and her strong opinion on the Chaillilo dam are only a few of the things that shape the character of ms. Matola. Sharon Matola is a strong out spoken women, so there are a few issues in Belize that really push her buttons.

There is a plunder of controversy surrounding the economic and environmental impacts of the Chaillilo dam and being the biocentric women that ms. Matola is, her first arguments against the dam would be based on her passion for the environment. The environmental impacts of the Chaillio dam are devastating they include: hindering of reproduction and life cycles of reproduction and feeding of stream dwelling organisms, the chemistry of the stream is also greatly affected with the methane, hydrogen sulfide released into the water from the decomposing organic matter that isn’t able to receive oxygen. The dam does far more than just hinder the life of stream dwelling organisms but it has a whole other world of destruction for the creatures inhabited near the stream. The site of the Chaillilo dam that was flooded was the only known nesting site for the Scarlet Macaw. So this is where is gets personal for Sharon. The magnificent Scarlet Macaw that Ms. Matola is so passionate about may disappear due to the raping of its habitat. The dam also flooded an environment that a plethora of other creatures were dependent upon the stream area for food and for a place to call home.

Just this information alone would be enough certainly for Ms. Matola and for many other people to reject the Chaillilo dam, however the economic incentives the Chaillilo dam brings to Belize do not even come close to justifying it’s terrorizing of the environment.

Before touching on this issue it would first be important to point out the frustration that Sharon Matola encounters when arguing against the Chaillio dam. Sharon, being a Caucasian, American born woman Sharon faces the typical argument of “She doesn’t care about the people of Belize, she just a gringa interested in keeping the animals around to attract tourism.” Such a viewpoint towards Caucasians can be captured in the texts “New Missionaries” and “The Tourists are Coming,” by Trapasso. Belize history and present day life has been manipulated by eco tourism and the “environmentalists,” also sarcastically referred to as the “new missionaries.” Present day San Pedro has become so engulfed in tourism that the people who once called it home were displaced because of the sky rocketing standard of living. Through the “New Missionaries” text there is also an example of the Belizean people being displaced in light of environmental reasons. The Cockscomb jaguar preserve was created in 1984 in order to “save” the jaguars. This ultimately led to the displacing of the Maya people inhabiting the area, and ironically enough all the jaguars that were captured for the preserve died or were killed during that time. So economically speaking the Chaillilo dam was initially to be built in order that the citizens of Belize have cheaper energy, and in order that they would not be depending on Mexico for the entirety or their energy needs. Turns out that the dam is actually increasing the monthly energy bill for Belizeans, so now the people of Belize are left with billion of dollars on loans from the world bank (interest at 12%) a hurting river ecosystem, and a heavier monthly energy bill. Given all of this clearly Sharon Matola has a heavy heart, but even amongst the dark outlook of the Chaillio dam Sharon is still frustrated, but nonetheless is still outspoken about her passion for making life better for both the animals, and people of Belize.

Here you see the Chaillilo dam which flooded Belize's only known nesting site for the Scarlet Macaw.

Sharon Matola pictured here in the Belize zoo.

God and Nature 1

2008-04-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Do you know your place, ecologically speaking? This is the question Steve Bouma-Prediger posed during God and Nature I. To test our ecological perception of place, we took a quiz. Here’s a sampling of the questions. See how you do.

1. How many days until the moon is full?

2. Describe the soil around your home.

3. Trace the water you drink from precipitation to tap.

4. Name five edible wild plants and five agricultural plants in your bioregion.

5. From what direction do winter storms generally come in your region?

6. Where does your garbage go?

7. Name five trees in your area.

8. Name five resident and migratory birds.

9. What primary geological event or process influenced the land where you live?

10. From where you are reading this, point north?

How did you do? If we can’t answer these questions, we’re ecologically illiterate, despite of (or perhaps because of) our education. Being good earthkeepers, however, requires that we not only know our place intimately, but that we also have ears to hear the “groaning of creation”. The earth’s vital signs are not good. Try this quiz. No cheating…

1. There were half as many people in the world today in the year

a) 1800

b) 1930

c) 1960

2. If the number of hungry people in the world today were lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch

a) from LA to New York

b) around the world once at the equator

c) around the earth 18 times at the equator

3. Another species of plant or animal life become extinct

a) every year

b) every week

c) every 8 hours

4. Tropical forests are destroyed at the rate of 25 million acres each year, an area the size of

a) metropolitan Chicago

b) Rhode Island

c) Indiana

5. The percent of people in so-called developing countries without adequate drinking water is

a) 10%

b) 25%

c) 50%

The answers are all C. Scary, eh? Thoroughly depressing as these statistics are, as Christians we are called to hope not despair, and signs of hope abound. The Bible itself has a lot to say about caring for creation and more and more Christians are starting to cultivate an “earthy” faith. Yes, there is bad theology out there but it is being countered by good theology, a theology that affirms that humans are called to serve and protect the earth; that God, not humans, is at the center of things; that the earth will be renewed, not destroyed; that the earth is our eternal home, not heaven. There’s a lot of work to be done. May God shape us to be people who have the patience, courage, and compassion to live as agents of His shalom in a world of wounds. Amen.

Stephen at Itzamna

2008-03-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Total Eclipse of the Moon

2008-02-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

At first we didn't believe Kandice when she said, "Look guys, I think there's an eclipse or something". We all thought it was a cloud covering the moon. But sure enough, Kandice was right and we all paused for about an hour last week to marvel at the total lunar eclipse that darkened the sky. Pete brought out the spotting scope and oohs and ahhs were heard as the earth's shadow slowly covered the moon and the stars brightened.

In her book Teaching a Stone to Talk, Annie Dillard remarks about her own experience with an eclipse:

"What you see in an eclipse is entirely different from what you know. It is especially different for those of us whose grasp of astronomy is so frail that, given a flashlight, a grapefruit, two oranges, and fifteen years, we still could not figure out which way to set the clocks for Daylight Saving Time. Usually it is a bit of a trick to keep your knowledge from blinding you. But during an eclipse it is easy. What you see is much more convincing than any wild-eyed theory you may know."

Getting our Feet Wet

2008-02-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Last week was the first part of our Tropical Ecosystems course. Stream ecology was jam-packed full of field trips where students measured water chemistry and stream discharge; collected invertebrates and small fish; and got to do some splashing around. At first it was a little bit unnerving to see what was living under our feet and in our waterways but we also appreciated the presence of these small organisms especially as they are a good indication of low pollution. Our professor, Dorothy Boorse, was a great addition to the group and we wish she could have stayed longer.

Dorothy, Autumn, Kandice, Stephen

Liz and Nick

The Blue Hole

poor little guys

Some Plants

2008-02-24T13:44:00.000-08:00

Passiflora edulis, Passion Fruit with a nectaring bee.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Pride of Barbados. This is Gretchen's favorite.

Galphimia glauca, or Mexican Gold Bush. Another common name is the Shower of Gold.

Photos courtesy of Gretchen Peck.

CCSP Lovin'

2008-02-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day last week, students had the chance to get to know each other on an even deeper level with CCSP matchmaking service. Throughout the course of the evening, students were encouraged to find their soul-mate and make a life-long commitment. Just kidding. What really happened was everyone had a lighthearted night starting with a silly game of "If you love me honey won't you please smile?" Courtnay had a rough time keeping it together and was sure to smile whenever someone asked her to. Then came a round of speed dating where everyone got to talk to everyone else for two minutes to find out if they were a match... or not. The night capped off with everyone's favorite movie- A Princess Bride.

Bird of the Week

2008-02-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Glaucidium brasilianum, or Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, is one of the only owls in Belize that is active during the day. This little cutie, measuring only 7", was seen in an orange tree right outside of the staff cabins. A group of staff and students were able to walk right up to the tree it was perched in and take pictures, giggle, pray, and just shake heads in dismay. One interesting note about the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is the presence of "false eyes." These dark spots on the back of their heads give the appearance of large, dark eyes to confuse would-be predators.

Kudos to Jessica who gave the correct answer to last week's quiz. The two other toucans in Belize are the Collared Aracari and the Emerald Toucanet.

This week's quiz: Belize is home to what other Pygmy-Owl?

The Ruins at Xunantunich

2008-02-18T17:57:00.001-08:00

For several days in orientation week, we sat on the hammocks and watched the ruins lurk in the distance from sunrise to sunset. On the last of the week however, we finally went to see this ominous structure of Xunantunich up close and personal.

A neat ferry across the Mopan river took us to the road to the ruins. There were a few small tourist attractions and stores with the fancy-shmancy knick-knacks for purchase, but soon after moving on we were about to get a hefty history lesson. This wasn't normal history though, this was real, in-your-face Mayan history! We're talking the kind of history where an intense game of gauntlet ball often ended in the sacrificial death of the winner. They made the balls for the gruesome game from gummy tree substances. Later, the same area would be a major gum producer for big companies like Wrigley's. The place tells so many stories from ancient civilization, collapse of their society, influences from Britain and the outside world, to the chewing gum industry, and now to a tourist attraction. At first visit, it takes a good chunk of time to mentally work your way past the fog of the tourism to only scratch the tiniest scratch on the surface to see the actual reality of Mayan life. As we sat on the top, overlooking miles of lush forest greens and farms (including our very own campus and CCSP bus) we soon realized the irony in our situation. Where we stood once served as sacred space to honor the gods. Only kings and royal family would set foot there. People were sacrificed to the gods (which was an honor) and even the entire temple served to honor them. The land we looked out on was the land of the workers, the middle class, and farmers. There was probably a market square and probably no forest because it was all farm land. But with trying to fathom all of that, which took a powerful imagination, I wondered if they would just sit up on the top, overlooking hills and sunsets like we did. Either way, the stones show great wisdom in age, and could tell countless stories. Plus we all got free passes to go see it again!

By Nick Voss

photos by Nick and Jesse

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-02-13T15:15:00.001-08:00

THE ROOMIE'S BIRTHDAY BASH

by Brindley, Kandice, and Autumn

Kandice and Brindley just happened to be in the same cabin and just happened to be born on the same day. They were both feeling that their birthday wouldn't be so special because of being so far away from home and from family and friends but to their SURPRISE, CCSP birthdays are no joke. Kandice and Brindley both agreed that there was no better way to celebrate their 20th and 21st birthdays than in Belize with their CCSP family. The day started with the two girls being woken up to a serenade by the whole group and given a donut and candles to make their first wish together. This made them both feel at home since it had been a family tradition. That was just the beginning...

The birthday girls' day was filled with interesting animals at the Belize Zoo and plenty of birthday hugs and wishes from everyone they were with. The excitement continued at dinner time when each girl was presented with their own personalized cake made with love, of course. CCSP cuts no corners when it comes to birthdays. Two birthdays means two cakes. Just when they thought the celebration was over, they walked into a SURPRISE decorated veranda by the best SLC's ever, Pete and Gretchen. The birthday bash started with challenges of flexibility and endurance with our very own, original, and unique game of Belizean Twister. Each birthday girl had their time to shine in a game of psychiatrist where the acting skills of the CCSP (BELIZE) staff and students were revealed. Their musical talent was also shown when three groups--the girls, the boys, and the staff--made up original singing and dancing routines focused on how great Kandice and Brindley are. The staff broke it down fresh with the hippest rap eva! The night finished off with an intense dance party where everyone let loose and had their time to shine. Kandice and Brindley both agree this could possibly be the best birthday ever.

Touring the Mollejon Dam

2008-02-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

This week Vernon Jantzi is in the middle of Sustainable Community Development, a class that looks at different development paradigms and approaches. One of Belize's development projects is the construction of 3 dams on the Macal River. We went to visit the Mollejon Dam, the second dam in the series of 3, and were able to view the dam itself, the control room, and the generators below.

The development of these dams has been the focus of much controversy in Belize. A sizeable area of sensitive riparian forest has been flooded, including one of the last remaining nesting sites of the near extinct Scarlet Macaw. The dam construction was first billed at 30 million US dollars, but upon completion will be closer to 100 million US dollars. This money will head back to Canada because Fortis, the company building the dam, is a Canadian company. Fortis has contracted a Chinese construction company to build it. They have contracted Nepalese workers and are paying them far lower than the already low minimum wage in Belize. This is the third biggest development project in the history of Belize. We went to the dam to tour it, hear the guide, and ask our questions to help us better understand this project.

Bird of the Week

2008-02-13T14:17:00.001-08:00

Ramphastos sulfuratus or Keel-Billed Toucan is the subject of this week's bird-focus. This toucan can more often be heard than seen around the campus. The call of the toucan sounds a lot like the croak of a frog or toad. One interesting note on the Keel-Billed Toucan is that they are a highly social and playful bird. They move and live in family structures and like most families they fight and feed each other. The toucans have been seen throwing food into each other's beaks and using those long beaks to duel or play fight with each other. Living in the hollows of trees space can get tight, so these beauties can tuck their tails and their beaks under their wings to save space. Aside from all of those features, they are arrestingly beautiful.

Quiz: What are the two other species of toucan that live in Belize?

Photo courtesy of Gretchen Peck

"The Best Little Zoo in the World"

2008-02-13T13:17:00.001-08:00

During orientation week, students had the opportunity to visit the Belize Zoo! Like the country, the zoo has a very laid back atmosphere with little more than a wire fence between paws and hands (or sometimes, not even that). All the animals are native to Belize including the harpy eagle, tapirs, jaguars, scarlett macaws, and lesser known species such as the gibnut and kinkajou. Getting up close to these animals was a treat as they are rarely-if ever- seen in the wild.

photos taken by our own Jesse Borden

Black Rock

2008-02-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

In addition to gardening, getting to know each other, and learning about Belize, this week students got to play in the beautiful Macal River. We started by grabbing tubes and trekking up to Vaca Falls where we swam for a little while. Tyler wasn't satisfied with just swimming though, so he decided to get swept over the falls into the pools below. Luckily, he conquered the falls and not the other way around. After that excitement, everyone got to relax a little for the tube ride downstream. During the float, entertainment was provided by looking at birds, getting poured on, and Pete's tube-tipping service. A little better than sitting in class in 30 degree weather, eh?

On Gardening

2008-02-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

"You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite."

Kahlil Gibran

"Participate in food production to the extent that you can. If you have a yard or even just a porch box or a pot in a sunny window, grow something to eat in it. Make a little compost of your kitchen scraps and use it for fertilizer, only by growing some food for yourself can you become acquainted with the beautiful energy cycle that revolves from soil to seed to flower to fruit to food to offal to decay, and around again. You will he fully responsible for any food that you grow for yourself, and you will know all about it. You will appreciate it fully, having known it all its life."

Wendell Berry

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.”

Aldo Leopold

Three beds, heavy and thick with weeds, ants and soil, were turned from fallow to field in a few short hours. The afternoon turned gentler and kinder as the sun set and we began our planting. Each plant was planted and a prayer was prayed.

The Arrival of the Stew-Nuts

2008-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

"Stew-Nuts" means "students" in Gloria-speak. Gloria can be seen here holding the sign to welcome the stew-nuts off the plane.

Also welcoming the stew-nuts was the humid, tropical heat of Belize. After the great-tailed grackle had given his welcoming, we boarded our school bus and made our way west across the country. The stew-nuts were given their first looks of the Belize countryside as the sun set softly over Guatemala. Ms. Martha and Ms. Shelly did their part to welcome the stew-nuts with a traditional diner of rice and beans, stewed chicken, cole slaw, fried plantains and chocolate cake. The keys were passed out to their new cottages and the stew-nuts found rest and repose after a long day of travel.

We are all thankful and grateful that our community is now full with this semester's stew-nuts.

Introducing the new staff team...

2008-01-29T21:08:00.001-08:00

For the past three semesters CCSP Belize has had the same staff team and now as we begin the Spring 2008 semester we do so with two new colleagues. Pete McLean and Grechen Peck have joined Meghan Friesen, Courtnay Wilson, and Jared Friesen on the staff team. Gretchen completed her studies at Messiah College this past December and is a Fall 2005 alum of CCSP Belize. Pete finished at Messiah College in May 2007 and between then and now he worked for the National Audubon Society at the Constitution Marsh in New York state. Pete is also a CCSP alum from Fall 2005. We are excited and honored that these two people have come to join our community and our staff team here in Belize. We have been working hard to get things ready for the arrival of our students. Check our journal often for more updates and photos from Belize!

Sincerely,

Meghan, Courtnay, Jared, Gretchen, Pete, and Gloria