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Eco-trail Adventure
Dr. Alfred Lau leads a tour through virgin jungle near the village of Pueblo Viejo.
photo by Anita Whipple
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One of the projects I’ve been fortunate to be involved with during my stay in Belize has been the creation of an eco-trail near the Maya village of Pueblo Viejo. The eco-trail and its associated attractions are the brainchild of Marcelo Bul, a twenty-three year old Maya Indian who hails from Pueblo Viejo, and Dr. Alfred Lau, a world-renowned botanist and conservationist.
Dr. Lau has spent the past forty years searching for and identifying rare and endangered plant species in ecosystems ranging from the deserts of Mexico to the rainforests here in Belize. During that time, he and his wife have adopted and trained many Indian boys who have gone on to become medical doctors, engineers, and conservationists – a large number have become leaders in their communities. Dr. Lau has spent much of the past year in Belize, helping the villagers of Pueblo Viejo to understand the biodiversity of the forests that surround their village and establish an eco-trail in the virgin jungle that remains threatened by foreign logging and slash-and-burn agriculture. Mr. Bul, who is leading efforts to establish the eco-trail, has studied with Dr. Lau since the age of 11.
Mr. Bul formally introduced the project to the village at a recent fajina, or town meeting, and obtained his townspeople’s enthusiastic support for the project. His team will be working closely with the local TEA chapter as they strive to make their vision a reality. In addition to a number of intertwining trails and treehouses, an educational center featuring a reptile exhibit, and a greenhouse to cultivate rare plant species for reintroduction into the rainforest, this vision includes the creation of a scholarship fund to send local children interested in rainforest conservation to high school in Punta Gorda.
During a recent visit to Pueblo Viejo, Erika and I were absolutely inspired by what we saw. In addition to bearing witness to the amazing rainforest flora, we followed recently laid jaguar tracks, negotiated our way through a hidden cave filled with bats and pools of cold, clean water, and watched a beautiful white hawk soar above a large and lush valley. It is often said, however, that Belize’s most important natural resource is its people – this case was no exception, for the most impressive aspect of the trip was interacting with the young villagers who accompanied us on our expedition. Well schooled in the scientific names and medicinal properties of rainforest plants, they continuously demonstrated their desire to teach their fellow villagers about the need to preserve the rainforest.
Education in Belize is officially mandatory up until standard six (equivalent to eighth grade in the U.S.). Compliance with this regulation, however, is not strictly enforced – especially in rural villages. In addition, many children who have the desire and ability to attend high school are prevented from doing so due to a lack of finances or the necessity to work on the family plantation. The scholarship fund that the village seeks to establish is intended to make a high school education a reality for young boys or girls that demonstrate both scholastic ability and an interest in continuing the work of conservationists such as Dr. Lau and Mr. Bul within their community.
With much of the same spirit that helped to create successful ecotourism efforts such as the TEA’s Village Guesthouse Program, Dr. Lau and Mr. Bul, along with the villagers of Pueblo Viejo, are working to create an attraction which truly integrates education, conservation, and sustainable income generation. As a Plenty volunteer, I am helping to make their vision a reality.
VIDEO FROM PLENTY: Toledo Ecotourism Association
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