James A. Waight Sr. dies

Tonight the Belize Audubon Society is holding its annual general meeting at the Radisson Fort George. But while the election of the new executive, the annual report and remarks by Minister of Economic Development will proceed as scheduled, members will no doubt be a little somber with the passing this weekend of one of their founding members: James A. Waight Sr. Waight, who was born on February 16th, 1907, led an active life and dedicated himself to the preservation and conservation of Belize’s flora and fauna. He was a founding member of the Belize Audubon Society and served as the Society’s first president from 1969 to 1986. In 1990 James Waight and his wife Lydia received the Belize National Award for their tireless lobbying for the conservation of Belize’s National Heritage. Every year B.A.S. gives a deserving Belizean a conservation award named in his honor. He died Saturday after a prolonged illness and was laid to rest at the Lords Ridge Cemetery on Sunday.