Sibun Watershed Association wins award

In 1999 Mayan activist Julian Cho posthumously won the James A. Waight Conservation Award, this year the honor goes not to an individual but a grassroots community effort, the Sibun Watershed Association, SWA. The Belize Audubon Society sponsors the award named for one of their founding members. David Craig made the presentation Tuesday night on behalf of the Waight family to Patrick Scott Sr. during ceremonies at the Radisson Fort George Hotel. In his acceptance speech Scott says this recognition of their efforts to protect the Sibun Watershed and their educational outreach programs will motivate them even more.

Patrick Scott Sr., SWA

“We are in an atmosphere of, a feeling of joy for this award. And this will be a boost, which will trigger…you know a dynamo, that will be a dynamo to help us speed up in our organization and we get to higher heights in a shorter time. It took us eighteen months but at this time it might take us one year to get another big award. thank you.”

To further support SWA’s work the Audubon Society has announced it will donate a piece of property it owns in Belmopan for SWA’s headquarters. Eleven communities are found in the Sibun River Watershed region. In 1994 heavy flooding and sedimentation caused by careless land clearing practices led concerned citizens to form an organization to protect the ecosystem. The Sibun Watershed Association was formally registered as an NGO in 1997. James A. Waight Award winners do not have to be Audubon Society members but they must be involved in work directly related to environmental protection. This can be related to the rainforest or coastal areas, eco-tourism, the rights of indigenous peoples, social and cultural preservation, waste management or pollution control. This is the eleventh year the Audubon Society has presented the James A. Waight Award. Waight served as the President of the BAS for seventeen consecutive years. He passed away in May last year.