Letter on Rosewood from Toledo villager

Valentine’s Day has just passed and though the day should be about love, it has become commercialized very much like Christmas. A News Five viewer contacted our newsroom about a love letter of sorts that he wanted to share that came from one of his relatives. But instead of words found in a romance novel, the love was for an environment that is fast changing because of the pilfering of Rosewood to service markets in Asia. The letter says “I May not be a professional writer but allow me to voice my opinion as an independent citizen who is much concerned about Belize’s natural resources. I was taught in high school that rainforests are known as jungles that provide shelter to people, animals and plants. So if the jungles are destroyed then it becomes useless and the cool atmosphere around our community will vanish. I was raised in a rural community in Toledo District. I have been farming for the past three years along with other Mayan farmers in a reserve area close to San Pablo village. I am cultivating corn, beans and plantains in a limited amount to provide food on the table for my family.  It is a good distance away to ride on my bicycle twice a week but at the end it pays off, as the soil in that area is rich. However, presently we the Mayan farmers are facing some difficult times in the jungle as Rosewood is being extracted in a large amount and none are been replaced for future generations. The trails that we all cleaned are even used without our permission by those in the Rosewood business. We all want something done to either stop it, or a system to replace young Rosewood plants so that the species does not become extinct. Therefore we are all bringing this to the attention of anyone concerned as this illegal cultivation has been going for at least a year and a half.”