Residents and Raleigh improve Mayflower
If you headed down the Southern Highway this Easter en route to the attractions of Placencia, Hopkins or Cockscomb, you may have noticed a sign not far from the Stann Creek junction pointing toward a place called Mayflower. If you were too busy to explore it this trip, let us suggest that next time, you make the turn. News 5’s Jose Sanchez did and discovered that some local residents and volunteers from abroad have joined forces to develop another great Belizean place to visit.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Raleigh International has been engaging in community projects since 1995. In this latest expedition, thirteen of the hundred Venturers now in Belize have come to build a bridge that will open up a potential source of tourism for residents of Silk Grass and the beautiful area known as Mayflower.
Sue May, Project Manager, Raleigh Int’l
“The Raleigh Venturers have been building a footbridge to go over the Silk Grass Creek. That enables visitors to visit both the Mayan temple mound and also start the trail that goes to Antelope Falls.”
“The bridge that was there before got flooded and broken. So what the Raleigh International Venturers had to do was spend the first few days with sledge hammers and pick axes breaking down the previous concrete and then actually laying the foundation for the new footbridge.”
Many of the Venturers have left home for the first time and the experience gives them a chance to learn responsibility. Nineteen year old Paula Carter, an aspiring teacher, was given the task of supervising all of the day’s activities.
Paula Carter, Day leader, Raleigh International
“We’re working on several different projects. Like today we were doing the signs and then we are doing down by the river. And we got three people on camp duty, who get up slightly different by everyone else and do breakfast and lunch and duty as well tonight, and collect water, drinking water, clean the toilet, lovely jobs like that.”
Development of the area is not only in the hands of Raleigh, The Friends of Mayflower/Bocawina Committee also have a deep-rooted interest in the project.
Godfrey Young, Chairman, Friends of Mayflower/Bocawina
“This area is very special because it’s full of flora and fauna, all the peccaries, gibnut, birding, they have recorded over three hundred species of birds in the area. And to me the birders that come to this country will have a paradise back here when they come back here looking at the birds. We have two beautiful waterfalls, we have the Antelope falls which is over three hundred feet up, and also the Bocawina falls, and those are beautiful areas for people to just come and relax. “
No wonder then that both Friends of Mayflower and Raleigh International are striving hard to have the area declared a national park, which would preserve ten thousand acres of the ecosystem.
Sue May, Project Manager
“The idea is that we’re going to be helping the Friends of Mayflower to develop the infrastructure of this park which hopes to get National Park status very soon. It will be a way of encouraging visitors to visit the park and hopefully increase employment opportunities for local community.”
Godfrey Young
“They have the Mayan cultural group that has gotten five or six acres down the road. They will be building something like the Maya cultural area to do guest houses, breakfast, probably lunch and do some of the things they have in their culture like preparing the food, and little demonstrations. There is also the Silk Grass women’s group, who should be taking care of the information center in the village, which will be right on the roadside. We have two wardens that are from Silk Grass, who we are planning to put back here.”
Though the challenge has been primarily physical, living in nature for three weeks without distractions and the comfort of home, have made the volunteers a bit more introspective.
Timothy Knight, Venturer
“It teaches you to be away from home. It’s the first time I’ve really been away from home without my parents, and really just dropped in on your own learning to cope on your own. You find yourself maturing a lot. It puts you in situations and you handle situations where normally you can go back and speak to someone at home. You come out and greet people you’ve never met before, and you learn to cope with people with personal skills, handling people that are being difficult and learning how to cope with yourself when you are having a rough day.”
The only Belizean Venturer, Private Winston Augustine, has contributed his leadership skills to the group. It’s a far cry from his duties as a soldier.
Winston Augustine, A Company, BDF
“For the first time I am learning to lay blocks, learning to dive, meeting a lot of people. Because we have people from Malaysia, Japanese, people from Denmark, Scotland. If it wasn’t for Raleigh, maybe I’d never meet these different type of people.”
The bridge is being made mostly from two bus chassis. It may not be much to look at right now, but when the rainy season begins, rising waters will make it the only route to reach the attractions beyond.
Jose Sanchez
“This is Antelope Falls, a steep and challenging forty minute hike from the bridge that is currently being built by Raleigh International. Thanks to the volunteers and the Friends of Mayflower, this spectacular piece of Belize will soon be accessible to every one. Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
The Mayflower project should be completed by the end of May. If you choose to visit before that time, bring your own food, drink and insect repellant. Raleigh International will host one more round of expeditions in July, before closing down their operations in Belize.
