Advocacy

The Belize Audubon Society challenges the view that conservation is an activity separate and in conflict with the development of the country. Rather, we consider conservation and care for the environment to be an integral part of our nation's advancement. This philosophy underpins our approach to both advocacy and education.

Our advocacy program aims to change environmentally harmful behaviors through influencing policy, and legislation, and environmental thinking of all sectors of society. Our environmental charter, An Environmental Agenda for the 21 st Century highlights the key environmental issues of concern. They include:

Addressing Land Problems

Problems with land distribution, land tenure, and land use underpin many of the environmental problems that we are witnessing today. With this in mind, we at BAS are currently focusing our advocacy efforts on lobbying for the introduction of a fair and transparent land policy that ensures that people are treated fairly and that land is used wisely. This is being achieved through our involvement with the Land Alliance for National Development (LAND), for which BAS acts as Secretariat.

Monitoring Environmental Problems And New Development Projects

BAS works closely with the Department of the Environment (DoE) and acts as a watchdog to ensure that the authorities are notified about environmental problems. We also represent ANDA on the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC). The NEAC is responsible for reviewing the Environmental Impact Assessments of large development projects.

Supporting Advocacy Work In The Community

We are actively working in both rural and urban areas to support local groups with their own advocacy campaigns. By offering advocacy skills training along with our NGO partner SPEAR, we aim to empower the Belizean public to advocate for environmental change for themselves. We also support school-based environmental groups through our Young Environmentalists program.

Our Advocacy Program Is Funded By The Dutch Organization HIVOS.

Education

Education is at the heart of steering the country towards environmentally responsible development. At the Belize Audubon Society we believe that by working directly with both adults and children we can help people to not only understand environmental problems, but also how they can be solved.

Educating Communities Bordering The Protected Areas

In support of our community co-management efforts we are working closely with residents in villages bordering our protected areas. This helps communities gain the knowledge and skills they need to become more involved in conservation management.

In addition to basic skills in literacy, leadership, advocacy, and planning, we are also offering training in sustainable resource management and business planning. The practical skills gained as a result of the training sessions helps residents of our buffer zone communities to identify practical ways of making a living without harming the environment.

Educating School Children

BAS has always made efforts to help school children and teachers learn about the environment. Our Education for Sustainability program aims to promote learner-centered (hands-on) activities that teachers can use to develop critical thinking skills while challenging students to find solutions to environmental problems. Our educational kits on different environmental topics help the teachers fulfill their curriculum goals while bringing fun and enjoyment to learning about the natural world.

School Visits

The BAS education team give regular presentations on environmental topics in primary schools. Hundreds of school children from around the country now have a greater awareness of the Belizean environment. Slide presentations are most popular, but we are also developing puppet shows for younger children and more advanced presentations for high schools.

Visiting Our Parks And Educational Centers

There is so much to learn and enjoy at our protected areas. The field trails offer children and adults of all ages first-hand experience and understanding of the natural world and our visitor centers have a wealth of information to enhance this learning experience. Several of our centers are currently being upgraded to improve the educational content even more.

Groups of students are welcome at all of our parks. You can contact our Public Participation Officer at the BAS office for more information and for reservations.