Zoo holds science fair

While Belize City’s best spellers were competing at the Parish Hall, another competition was underway at the Belize Zoo which included students from all over the country. News Five was invited to view the efforts of the country’s budding ecologists.

There are fifteen schools participating in the eighth Science Fair at the Belize Zoo. The fair is designed to give students and visitors an idea of how Belize’s environment and wildlife have been affected by destructive human behavior.

Celso Pott, Asst. Education Dir., Belize Zoo

“The objective of this science fair is to have the students display what they are learning in school in regards to environmental education.”

The students were responsible for coming up with their own themes and exhibits. It took only two days for the upper division of St. Edmond Campion School in Teakettle Village to put together a model showing how people pollute our communities and rivers.

Emerita Cruz, Student, Teakettle Village

“Over there you can see a woman she is washing and after she is finished she throws her Clorox paper into the water and the turtle thinks that it is a jellyfish and he swallows it and gets suffocated.

Here you have some cars they are running on the road and throwing away garbage from inside of the car.”

But littering was not the only focus of the day. Some students showed how the use of certain chemicals can ruin the environment, destroy crops and make people sick.

Charles Perez, Student, Stella Maris School

“The use of chemicals is what we’re trying to prevent. So the theme for this area is, “a safe garden, a safe environment.” In other words it means that in our garden we have fruits which are safe to eat and when we know that our food is safe we know that our environment is safe.”

Thirteen year old Carla Bradley could not agree more. Bradley, a student of St. Joseph’s portrayed Mother Earth in her school’s presentation on global warming.

Carla Bradley, Student, St. Joseph School

“We are doing global warming and climate change because if Mitch would have hit Belize we wouldn’t be here right now and if the sea level rises it would cover the whole of Belize and the islands would just disappear.”

Other schools demonstrated how you can economically use solar energy.

Darwin Vasquez, Gallon Jug Community School

“This is called the solar furnace; it is used for boiling water. You could put some water in here and then when you focus it to the sun the sun would boil it. It takes like 20 or 25 minutes to boil. You don’t have to use wood nor stove to boil it. When you are in the bush you can take that instead of taking a big thing; it is not heavy to take. And in the jungle you just go in a place with a lot of sun and focus it to the sun and boil the water.”

Q: “Is this being practiced in Gallon Jug?”

Darwin Vasquez

“Yes, it has been practiced and it works.”

The displays were not only set up to be enjoyed but each booth was also carefully judged.

Anna Hoare, Judge, Science Fair, Belize Zoo

“Actually we are looking for five different criteria, one of them is creativity; secondly we’re also looking at the themes – if the themes are relevant to the environment.”

The students were also evaluated on neatness and how they discussed their display. Reporting for News Five, I am Jacqueline Woods.

In the end St. Joseph Upper School walked off with the first place for their presentation on global warming. The school received a computer with all accessories. Second place went to Grace Primary School for their exhibition on watersheds. The school won a four-year high school scholarship which will be given to a deserving student. San Victor School in the Corozal District received a set of encyclopedias after winning third place for their presentation on composting.