La Immaculada tops zoo science fair
Most of our coverage of the Belize Zoo over the last few years has revolved around its political activities, namely criticism of a proposed sanitary landfill and opposition to the Chalillo Dam. But for today, at least, the zoo got back to basics: its annual science fair.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The students did not have much time to prepare for the fair but what the classes managed to achieve in just two weeks, demonstrated that conservation should be everybody’s business…no matter how young you are.
Celso Poot, Education Director, The Belize Zoo
“It’s very important that teachers stress to the students that their actions has some serious complications on the effects of the environment. We need to teach them from an early age, so that when they become adults they will know the effects of their actions on the environment.
Conservation awareness begins right in the classroom. Putting the garbage in the trashcan, pick it up on the floor if they see it and also in the schoolyard. That’s where conservation begins. Well at home they can pack their garbage, they can recycle, keep their yard clean.”
Each year the Belize Zoo and the Tropical Education Centre invites primary schools to participate in a Science Fair. The standard six students must create projects to promote conservation.
Ivana Blanco, Student, La Immaculada School
“Protect our Belizean forests and big up Belize.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why should we protect our forests?”
Ivana Blanco
“Because there is a lot of deforestation in the forest and that could kill the animals, trees and many other things.”
Michelle Cadle, Student, St. Peters Claver Anglican
“We decided to focus on butterflies because we believe that butterflies are harmless creatures and they have the problem that butterflies can become extinct. And we believe that if we can do anything, if it is possible, we can prevent the extinction of butterflies.”
Lily Liang, Grace Primary School
“We could like keep the environment healthy and clean, reduce car vehicles by using car pooling. Factories can use renewable energies such as solar or wind or water energy.”
There was also musical entertainment for the students who made it out to the fair. But one problem was that not that many students showed up. In fact, the Zoo’s Education Director, Celso Poot says there has been a steady decline in the school’s participation…What’s the problem?
Celso Poot
“Teachers blame it on management. Management says the teachers are not communicating among themselves. For instance, yesterday we had up to fifteen schools registered. By the end of 5:00 yesterday, we had eleven. This morning only six showed up. I got on the phone this morning and I made some calls and some of the schools did not even bother to inform us that they were not coming.”
Poot says he knows the Cayo Association hosted today a similar district fair and maybe that’s one of reasons why the crowd was small. Poot says the business community has also trimmed its support for the event, which costs close to twenty thousand dollars each year.
Celso Poot
“This year we got very, very minimal donations. Over the years that is what had the Science Fair big. This year we had to seek donations abroad to fund the prizes, to fund schools getting out here to participate in the event.”
Despite the lack of support, Poot says the fair now in its eleventh year, will continue. Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.
At the end of today’s fair, three schools were awarded prizes. La Immaculada Primary from Orange Walk received a fully loaded computer system after capturing first prize. Grace Primary of Belize City walked off with second place and a computer with monitor. Cayo’s Santa Elena primary came in third and received a television set. All participating schools went home with a set of assorted supplies.
