William Garcia Completes Two-Year Training Program with C-EWCL

Graduation-pic-by-Darshan-Narang-for-webWilliam Garcia from BFREE wrapped up his two year participation in the Caribbean Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (C-EWCL) training program this spring. He met other members of his cohort in Tobago in early May to finalize the project, make recommendations, and celebrate the group’s success.

Funded in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), C-EWCL is an opportunity for up-and-coming conservation professionals in the Caribbean to gain invaluable skills and experience working with proven conservation leaders. Graduates become future conservation leaders of the Caribbean with the competence necessary to lead on critical issues facing wildlife in the region.

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CEWCL Class 2012-2013

Participants received three training sessions over a two-year period, and worked in teams to develop, implement and evaluate a wildlife conservation project in the Caribbean. “With many of today’s conservation leaders in the Caribbean retiring in the next decade and numerous mid-career professionals having left the region for international opportunities, there is a critical need to develop a new generation of wildlife leaders in this region,” said Beth Allgood, C-EWCL Director and Campaigns Managers at IFAW. “C-EWCL provides today’s young professionals hands-on, comprehensive experience to become tomorrow’s conservation leaders.”

C-EWCL class members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences in the conservation field. William’s cohort included:
• Abdel Abellard, Haiti, USAID/Haiti
• Marchilio Ack, Belize, Ya’axche Conservation Trust
• Marlon Oliver Beale, Jamaica, Jamaica Conservation & Development Trust
• Felicity Burrows, Bahamas, The Nature Conservancy
• Jorge Castillo, Panama, Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Jamal Galves, Belize, Coastal Zone Management Authority
• Jeanel Georges, Barbados, CARIBSAVE Partnership
• Renee Gift, Tobago, Gift & Co, Attorneys at Law
• S.K. Natalya Lawrence, Antigua, Offshore Islands Conservation Program
• Clarissa Lloyd, Anguilla, Terrestrial & Wetlands Conservation Officer, Anguilla National Trust
• David Mahabir, Trinidad, Research Officer/Wildlife Section
• Andres Jimenez Monge, Costa Rica, International Student Volunteers Costa Rica
• Darshanjit Singh Narang, Trinidad & Tobago, Environmental Management Authority
• Feria Narcisse-Gaston, St. Lucia, Forest Officer, Forestry Dept
• Angela Randazzo Eisemann, Honduras, Marine biologist consultant
• Paul Watler, Cayman Islands, Environmental Programmes Manager Designate

About Caribbean Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (C-EWCL)
The goal of the Caribbean Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) program is to facilitate cross-organizational networking and mentoring for emerging wildlife conservation leaders in the Caribbean region while conducting training and guiding concrete innovative conservation projects. For more information, please visit wildlifeleaders.org/classes/caribbean-ewcl

Conference News

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Sofia Marlin and Elijah Eyerly

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Elijah at the LEEF conference.

Sofia Marlin and Elijah Eyerly represented BFREE at the League of Environmental Education in Florida (LEEF) conference in late March. LEEF is committed to educating Florida’s citizens about environmental issues. LEEF provides a network for awareness, communication and growth about Florida’s natural environment. During the conference in Ocala National Forest, Sofia and Elijah shared information with in-service teachers, parents of homeschoolers, and other educators about BFREE and the rainforests of southern Belize.

 

Dr. Jamie Rotenberg, UNCW, and Heather Barrett, BFREE, co-presented at the 61st annual conference for the Southeastern Council Latin American Studies (SECOLAS). Held in New Orleans, Louisiana, the conference was a two-day event bringing together faculty members, independent scholars and students to discuss issues around the theme “Latin America’s Global Presence.” Rotenberg and Barrett focused their talk entitled, “Community-Based Conservation: A small-scale model that extends beyond Belize’s borders,” on the avian technician training program established by BFREE and UNCW.

May and June 2014 Field Courses

It’s hard to believe that another field season has come and gone! This season wrapped up in May and June with fantastic returning courses and a brand new teachers’ institute. Groups enjoyed hikes through the rainforest, family homestays in Maya communities, evening adventures at the Belize Zoo, tasting tours of the Spice Farm, snorkeling in Belize’s beautiful waters, and so much more.

May Field Courses

• “Biology” led by Instructor Sara Ash from University of Cumberlands, Kentucky.

University of the Cumberlands.

University of the Cumberlands.

University of the Cumberlands beginning their hike.

University of the Cumberlands beginning their hike.

• Tropical Biology” led by Instructor Paul Pickhardt of Lakeland College, Wisconsin.

Lakeland students during their tour of the spice farm.

Lakeland students during their tour of the spice farm.

Lakeland students visit the spice farm.

Lakeland students visit the spice farm.

• “Field Study in Belize” led by Instructors Jon Evans and Jordan Casey of Sewanee: University of the South, Tennessee.

Sewanee University of the New South.

Sewanee University of the New South.

Sewanee students learn mammal-trapping techniques.

Sewanee students learn mammal-trapping techniques.

Sewanee students set mammal traps.

Sewanee students set mammal traps.

June Field Courses

• “Tropical Biology” led by Instructors Maarten Vonhof and Michael Buchalski of Western Michigan University.

Maarten Vonhof of Western Michigan.

Maarten Vonhof of Western Michigan.

Western Michigan participated in a day-long hike.

Western Michigan participated in a day-long hike.

Western Michigan visit Xunatunich.

Western Michigan visit Xunatunich.

• “Teacher’s Institute in Belize” led by Instructors Mary Risner and Mandy Monroe of University of Florida, Center for Latin American Studies and BFREE.

Teachers Institute during a hike.

Members of the Teacher’s Institute during a hike.

Teachers Institute participants have lunch with Golden Stream.

Teacher’s Institute participants have lunch with Golden Stream teachers from Golden Stream School in southern Belize.

Teachers Institute's visit to Golden Stream school.

Teacher’s Institute participants during their visit to Golden Stream school.

USFWS feature BFREE Pen Pal collaboration on their blog

After a visit to Belize this spring, Molly Sperduto of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Heather Barrett of BFREE helped establish pen pal relationships between a primary school in Golden Stream, Belize and another in Canterbury, New Hampshire, USA. Recently, a blog article on the USFWS website was recently posted that describes this new initiative.

N.H. students connect with birding pen pals in Belize

Third-grade students in Canterbury, New Hampshire, have become pen pals with the Golden Stream School in Belize. Our staff recently visited the Canterbury school to deliver letters from Belize and teach the students about the migratory birds that they share during different parts of the year, such as red-eyed vireo, yellow warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, magnolia warbler, black-and-white warbler, northern waterthrush, gray catbird, least flycatcher, eastern kingbird, and wood thrush.

For the full post, visit USFWS Northeast’s blog.