Mr. Eladio’s Chocolate Adventure!
We’d like to welcome the newest member of our team, Jordan Cas! Last month we sent him to Mr. Eladio’s cacao farm for some fieldwork. There he got a tour of the farm and witnessed the source of the ever indulgent sweet we have all come to know as chocolate. This is his experience. The tour began with a small hike from where the van had parked to Mr. Eladio’s cacao farm. Along with a lovely couple and their son, I
The Living Maya Experience and Zip Lining
This tour was a fun and humbling experience to say the least. We went zip lining with Big Falls Extreme Adventures located 45 minutes from the TIDE Tours office in Punta Gorda. The staff had been awaiting our arrival and as soon as we walked through the door, the adventure began. To say they were experienced in extreme adventures would be an understatement as they practically lived there. As soon as we were fitted into harnesses, helmets, and gloves (safety first!) and
“Hunting for Donkey Dung“ – Sea Cucumber Monitoring in the PHMR
One of the perks of being advanced open water dive trained is having the option to assist on monitoring of marine species with TIDE. For this field trip I had the opportunity to go out into the Port Honduras Marine Reserve (PHMR) and look for Donkey Dung… yes Donkey Dung. This is the local name for the Holothuria Mexicana sea cucumber which, rather unfortunate for itself, does look a little like donkey dung. Due to indications of possible overharvesting for the
From Leadership to Ridge to Reef – A Community Based Expedition Experience
In June 2015, Ridge to Reef expeditions hosted Individual Placement volunteers Adam Graves and Danielle Day for 6 weeks as part of a study abroad program with Drake University, Iowa. During their time here they carried out a community based project and took part in many other Ridge to Reef activities, getting stuck into the work we do here in Toledo. Here, Adam explains how Ridge to Reef was able to support his course requirements while also providing him with
Into the Wilderness – GPS Species Identification Fieldwork with the Rangers
Indulging the environmental scientist in me, I donned my hiking boots and long trousers and got stuck into two days of terrestrial field work, accompanying TIDE’s rangers, Mario and Elmar into the field. The sun was hot, the work was hard but I had the most incredible time experiencing some of the work that TIDE does and learning how this is applied to the bigger picture in terms of natural resource management and environmental protection and conservation. The work we carried out
Ridge to Reef Expeditioner, Javier, on Conservation, Community, & Cultural Exchange
One of the defining pieces of this Ridge to Reef expedition—and one which communicates quite a bit about the values of its parent organization, the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)—is the commitment to having a local Belizean student on each expedition. Javier Alegria went through a competitive application process to be here, then helped with the crowd-funded online campaign to cover the cost. His presence has made our experience in Belize that much richer, more interesting, and fun. Jav