UB partners with organizations for Earth Day awareness
Earth Day, designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the planet’s natural environment, is being celebrated today. The intention is to raise the level of knowledge on climate change and other factors affecting the physiology of the planet. In honor of Earth Day the University of Belize and other partner organizations held an event to educate the public on the need to ‘go green’. News Five’s Isani Cayetano traveled to the capital city where students from the nation’s largest tertiary level institution hosted an all-day awareness fair.
Isani Cayetano
“In an ever-changing world, people are realizing the importance of eco-friendliness as a means of preserving Mother Earth. Here at the UB campus in Belmopan students are playing their part in raising that awareness.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Emma Sanchez, who majors in Natural Resources Management, is an advocate of preserving the unspoiled regions of the country which drain water into the Caribbean Sea.
Emma Sanchez, UB Student
emma sanchez
“This watershed is the watershed from the New River, a river in Orange Walk that starts at Hill Bank and it ends up in the Corozal Bay. The watershed presently is being impacted by the BSI Sugar Factory and also we have deforestation, we have the impacts from the cane fields that use a lot of fertilizers and we also have cattle ranching. All these things we have impacts on the river right.”
But the harmful effects of large-scale production on our waterways are only a few of the manmade factors that impact Belize’s natural environment. Equally important is the need to conserve water.
Danili Gonzales, UB Student
“Whenever we wash the clothes we can save that water for mopping. We can collect rainwater and use it for the lawn and the plants and we can also, whenever we brush our teeth we need to close the tap and that way our pockets will grow ‘cause we’re conserving water and we’re, our money is gonna get bigger and bigger.”
Similarly growing is the problem of the predatory lionfish. Since its introduction this voracious hunter has preyed upon local species in Belizean waters and the university has since established a team of experts to study its impact on our marine resources.
Celso Cawich, Marine Biologist, UB
“At the moment we are still trying to find out all of the information of the impacts of the lionfish. However, we do know from fishermen and also from researchers that they are becoming much more common here in Belize. We are also working with other organizations to coordinate the work along. We want to find out what’s going on with the lionfish, how is it impacting our reefs and based on that then we’re gonna do the other moves.”
Among the various environmental organizations that have partnered with UB is the Belize Audubon Society. According to Dirk Francisco its participation in the event is a precursor to Saturday’s Green Walk.
dirk francisco
Dirk Francisco, Publicity Coordinator, BAS
“Belize Audubon Society traditionally has also been celebrating Earth Day on its own at Guanacaste Park or all the protected areas that we manage, but since we’ve started the Green Walk last year we have pushed our Green Walk to be on Saturday instead of the day when Earth day is to join up with UB. This year’s Green Walk will be April twenty-fourth starting at the Constitution Park in Belize City and Belize Audubon Society along with all participants will walk from Belize City to Guanacaste National Park.”
Certainly, organizing a growing event such as this is an ambitious undertaking by students and faculty. Juliani Pasos says today’s fair has been in the works since February of this year. Also partnering with the University of Belize was the Department of the Environment and Refritech. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
