Belize

The Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy has long recognized the importance of working with partners outside of the United States to protect biodiversity.  There is a natural link between Ohio and Belize, as many species of birds that come to Ohio during the summer fly south to make their winter homes in Belize.  Without protecting habitat in Belize, Ohio would experience a decline in species that came back here in the summer.

Like Ohio, Belize offers a wide range of habitat types in need of protection.  For example, the Maya Mountains Marine Corridor and Gladden Spit extend across a million acres in Southern Belize and link an assemblage of pristine lands and waters. The corridor stretches from the rugged Maya Mountains to the Caribbean Sea - encompassing lush tropical rain forests, coastal mangrove forests, offshore cays, and the second largest coral reef system in the world - the Meso-American Reef from Mexico to the Gulf of Honduras.

The rich world of these rain forests is matched only by Belize's bountiful coastal waters. The coral reefs at the outer edge of the corridor are among the most pristine in the region and stretch along Belize's coast for over 185 miles.

Jaguars and other large cats make their home in Belize's unspoiled rain forests and savannas. © Corel Digital Photo

Ecological Importance:
Tropical rainforests still cover nearly 80 percent of Belize and are home to more than 4,000 species of native flowering plants (including 250 species of orchids) and 540 bird species. The Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area alone harbors 240 species of trees and 70 species of mammals, including jaguar, puma, river otter and tapir.

Conservation Concerns:
The key threats to the forest ecosystems in the region include deforestation, unsustainable logging, village expansion, and unregulated tourism. The marine environment is threatened by overfishing, illegal manatee hunting, anchor damage to reefs, and sedimentation from upstream sources.

Dolphins are one of many species in Belize's coastal waters. © Richard Foster

The Maya Mountains Marine Corridor encompasses lush tropical rain forests, coastal mangrove forests, offshore cays, and the second largest coral reef system in the world. © Will Heyman

Belize Facts

• Size: Belize's total land mass is approximately 22,960 square kilometers which is roughly the size of Massachusetts. It's borders with the Caribbean sea stretches for some 386 kilometers
• Location: Bounded on the North by Mexico, South and West by Guatemala, and the beautiful Caribbean Sea washes its 174 mile coastline to the East.
• Animals: The coastal areas harbor manatee, dolphin, whale sharks, hawksbill turtles, crocodiles, iguanas, shorebirds, and diverse fish populations. The marine waters are a breeding ground for declining commercially important fish species. The unspoiled rain forests and savannas of Belize are well known homes to jaguars and four other large cats, spider and howler monkeys, tapirs, peccaries, and nearly 600 species of birds, many of which are shared with the United States.
• Plants: The majority of Belize's land area consists of tropical rain forests which are home to an amazing number of native flowering plants (including 250 species of orchids).

Strategies and Actions:
Key conservation strategies for this region include the acquisition of property rights to prevent deforestation and illegal hunting, and the creation and implementation of an integrated management plan.

The Nature Conservancy and TIDE (Toledo Institute for Development and Environment) will continue to provide support and training in strategic planning, financial management, site conservation planning and mapping, marine and terrestrial stewardship methods, and community outreach techniques.

In addition, through a long-term relationship with Programme for Belize, the Ohio Chapter of the Nature Conservancy is sharing conservation objectives, joint research projects and cooperative training to protect habitat for migratory bird species that winter in Belize at the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area and wing their way to the Edge of Appalachia Preserve in Adams County in the summer.

More Information:

• Efforts increase to protect the Harpy Eagle.
• Ohio Magazine reporters went with Ohio Chapter staff to Belize in January.
• Ohio Chapter staff work with Belizean scientists on freshwater monitoring.
• Ohio Chapter donates equipment to help monitor Belize's waters.
• Deep-water electrofishing taught to Belizean scientists.
• View a slideshow of the Ohio Chapter's efforts to protect Belize's beautiful places.