Wrapping Up the Semester

CCSP Spring 2010 has come to a close, the campus is empty and quiet, and the staff is missing the students like crazy! For the final blog post of the semester, we reflect on the last couple of weeks of the semester. The last weeks were designated to help students prepare to integrate what they've been learning into their lives at home and abroad, as well as to prepare students for the challenges they'll face after returning home (culture shock, etc.). Plus, we got to just have a whole lot of fun.

After Marine Ecology ended, some of us traveled to Belmopan to check out the Agriculture Fair. Here were booths set up with goods for sale (Western Dairies ice cream, Miss Martha's handbags, and lots of tasty-looking food) and information about many different organizations, including one of our favorites: the Belize Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful day for the outing, and before heading back to the Nab we ended by relaxing in the Belize River.

We then began our final class of the semester: Sustainable Community Development 3, led by CCSP Belize Program Director Derek Rosenberger. This week was a time of readings, discussions, and activities to help connect what we've learned about living sustainably to our lives in the states in a practical way. We researched different products and discussed how they impacted the environment, students presented on appropriate ways to approach different environmental topics for future living, and we picked up trash from the riverside between campus and Succotz. We ended the week by making trash art and displaying it during a Eurotrash-themed party! Everyone went all-out, and we had such a blast!

During our last weekend, we made some visits to town and took it easy, but we did attend the Succotz Mother's Day Marimba with our friend and cook Miss Flora. The Prime Minister of Belize even made a surprise appearance, and we're pretty sure he waved at a few of us.

The final week was Debrief Week, and it was a time of going through what being home might look like and how we could prepare for different struggles we might have, as well as how to translate our experiences to those who want to hear. This was also a week of fun activities. We started the week by making cookies and thank-you cards for everyone that's impacted our program this semester. We also hosted an ice cream social for some local families that have especially been a huge part of our program, and it was a lot of fun to talk and laugh with them once more before parting ways. We finished the first day with a birthday toga party for Patty (Bethel '13)! We played Mafia, made up songs and dances for her, and had cake!

During the rest of the week, we visited the Barton Creek caves, where we canoed into the pitch-black cave system; we played and spectated a final game of soccer with Succotz; we went swimming at the beautiful Cahal Pech resort; and we showed off our skills in the semester-end talent show. At the end of the talent show, we also handed out individual awards to the "graduating class" of CCSP Belize Spring 2010.

A final and traditional activity we did during the week was planting a class-hibiscus. We all took part in digging up the dirt, planting it, and watering it, and it joins previous semesters' hibiscuses by the office.

We then had the inevitable yet unfortunate task of driving to the airport to part ways. It was sad to say goodbye, but we are only separated by distance. We will keep in contact and maybe even visit in the future. We look forward to hearing how everyone impacts the people and places around them with what they've learned in Belize.

Imagining the Earth and Marine Ecology

Two weeks ago, we had a change of pace by diving into Imagining the Earth with Drew Ward. This course, also titled Environmental Literature, challenged us to reconsider our relationship with the earth and what environmentalism means through looking at various selections of environmental prose and poetry. It was an exciting week that not only led us to look at the earth but also at ourselves in new ways. Drew was very enthusiastic about the subject matter, which made it all the more enjoyable for us. On that Wednesday, we took a trip to Mountain Pine Ridge where we had class on the balcony of Five Sisters Lodge, overlooking a series of waterfalls. We ended our class session with a very refreshing dip in the stream, right below another beautiful waterfall.


April 22 was Earth Day! We celebrated by waking up early and planting two mahogany trees, plus some papaya seeds. This followed several days of intentionally focusing on different topics of sustainable living, including food, energy, and trash. It was a fun week and helped us to integrate some of what we've been learning and to think about it in a more practical way!


Following Imagining the Earth, we had Marine Ecology with Dr. Laurie Furlong. For this class, we packed up our bags and left early Monday morning for Glover's Atoll, where we would spend four days studying the marine life. About half of the class was lecture, and the rest of it was getting into the field. We snorkeled right off the shore of our island, we snorkeled way out where the ocean floor plummeted out of sight, and we snorkeled at night! It was an amazing experience, and we saw such a variety of marine creatures, from the brain coral to the angel fish to the Christmas tree worm. It was great to have Laurie passionately teaching this class, and thanks to her we left Glover's Atoll with the experience of seeing first-hand and understanding an undersea world that most people only get to watch through their television sets.

Treking All Over Belize!

After two weeks of internships, we got back into the “meat and potatoes of science” with stream ecology led by our fearless professor, Dr Dan Ippolito from Anderson University! Stream ecology consisted of hiking up and down tropical stream systems (which is especially nice in this hot and humid weather) and of course testing water quality, collecting macroinvertebrates, and seining for fish in the different stream systems throughout our region. We started the first day at Barton Creek where we saw for the first time Tamryn’s passion for being in the water, as well as Joelle’s determination to “work together” to catch a fish she had her eyes on. The second day, we took the long trek up to Mountain Pine Ridge and studied Slate Creek, Privassion Creek and finally, after waiting all semester, traveled up to the Chalillo dam. At Chalillo we were able to get out on top of the reservoir to have a look around, talk to the operator and see for ourselves the ecological impacts the dam has had on this river valley. Dan shared with us about the impacts of dams in general on stream life, and it was good to finally see it after reading the book, “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw”, a great read on the fight against the construction of this particular dam. On Wednesday, we traveled down the Hummingbird highway and visited St. Margaret’s Stream and then explored the Sibun River in search of cichlids (a group of fish found in the tropics).

The highlights of the week were: Heidi and Derek discovering a caddisfly that lived in a leaf casing, Dan finding and “pickling” a pike killifish, seeing Tamryn in action with the little green fish net, and meeting Enderson, a young Belizean boy who helped us collect macros and will someday become a stream ecologist (the seed has been planted!). The students were really challenged and learned a lot during this course, and now have a greater appreciation for even some of the smallest and oddest (have you seen an immature dragonfly’s labium?!) members of God’s creation found beneath the rocks and leaf litter of our tropical streams here in Belize.

During Stream Ecology, we were also able to have our second birthday party of the semester! Ashley turned the big 2-6, which doesn’t scare her as apparently 30 is the new 20 as she has been told... We celebrated this event by surprising Ashley with her favorite meal, eschebeche, and led her on a scavenger hunt all over Nabitunich with the end result being a surprise party at the director’s house! There everyone presented her with certificates and presents, and ate our favorite desert, chocolate cake! A good friend, Miss Martha even showed up and surprised Ashley! The event was really special!

We also had the opportunity to celebrate Heidi Doty over the weekend, as Heidi, due to a pressing medical situation, had to leave our community early and head home to Iowa. Although this caused much sadness, we were able to celebrate Heidi, her passions, gifts, and the woman of God she is, and the community really was blessed during this time. These events included a jammed-packed weekend of checking off things on the “bucket list” (the list the students created of things they want to do by the end of the semester”) like going to Sweet Ting, souvenir shopping, having a dance and slumber party, and writing poetry for Heidi to take back home with her. This weekend was a beautiful picture of community, as we came together, hurt together, laughed together and celebrated together the friendships we have made in such a short period of time.

After a weekend to rest from tromping through streams, we were off again and started the second week of Sustainable Community Development. Dr. Jonathan Warner from Quest University joined us for the week, and we headed up to Patachakan, a small, rural, sugar cane village. This field trip exposed us to a lot of information as we looked at several different development operations and asked the question, “Is this good for Belize”? CCSP’s good friend, Alfonso Vallejos, hosted us in Patchakan and shared with us his perspectives on the sugar cane industry, papaya industry, and village needs. We learned that in the northern districts of Belize, the three major industries are sugar cane, papayas, and the free zone found on the border between Belize and Mexico. We visited Alfonso’s sugar cane field and learned the arduous process of producing and harvesting sugar cane as well as the problems they face due to being dependent on a foreign market and the technology Belize currently has. We also visited an international corporation’s papaya fields, the Presbyterian Clinic in Patchakan, and Jacob’s Farm, a rehabilitation home started by Alfonso’s brother. Here we met Russell and his friend, “Miss Piggy” and heard first hand how caring for the land at Jacob’s farm can be an agent of healing.

After stopping at the Kolbe Foundation Prison, where we learned about the steps that have been taken to empower the prisoners there to take charge of their lives with valuable skills once they leave, we traveled up to Bermudian Landing and visited the Community Baboon Sanctuary. No one really knew what they were about to experience, and were all happily surprised when on the tour we met our furry friends up close and personal! The tour guide has built a relationship with these wild howler monkeys (some of the largest monkeys in the New World!) over the years, and the monkeys therefore felt comfortable enough to exercise their inquisitive nature and come in for a close inspection!! This also provided for some great pictures! After spending some time with the monkeys and our tour guide Robert, we talked to Ms. Jessie Young, the president of the Women’s Conservation Group, which runs the baboon sanctuary. She told us the purpose of the Sanctuary, how and why it was started, and what community development projects the Women’s Group has helped establish in several other communities, like fish and organic farming. The Community Baboon Sanctuary is an excellent example of an ecotourism that has been started and maintained by the local community, and has been working hard at conservation and development.

After several days of traveling Belize and witnessing first hand some both effective, and not so effective projects, we returned to Nabitunich, and started processing what we had seen. The weekend was spent recovering from out adventures and enjoying the Succotz Festival. Oh, how we love the village of Succotz and the blessing they have been to us!

Internship Reflections

The students are back now after 2 weeks of internships, and they all learned a lot about where they worked and lived. The other night everyone gave their presentations, and now we get to share all the experiences with you! In this special internship edition of the blog, the students have each written their own entries to give you an inside look at the last two weeks.

Heidi Doty - The Green Iguana Project

These past two weeks I have had the opportunity to work with a great project known as the Green Iguana Project. I worked with Iguanas ranging in age from around 10 months to 10 years. My weeks were filled with fun, adventure, anteaters and simply hanging out with iguanas. The Iguana Project is located at the San Ignacio Hotel about 15 minutes away from campus. They mainly want to educate the people of Belize about the Green Iguanas and their importance to the ecosystems as well as raise iguanas to release back into the wild. In Belize, the Green Iguana is considered a delicacy amongst locals and is also known as bamboo chicken. They will hunt the female iguanas when they are pregnant to eat their rich meat as well as their eggs. I have never tried it and after these two weeks, I do not think that I ever will. I fell in love with these magnificent creatures, especially a beautiful 2 year old female, known as Roxy. She enjoyed hanging out on my shoulder as well as occasionally my head. We were definitely quick friends. We not only hung out with iguanas, but we cleaned their enclosures everyday and prepared their food. Mr. Eddy Estrada taught us a lot and to the point that we were able to lead tours for visitors by ourselves, probably one of my favorite things about my internship. This blog is in memory of Moses, a wonderful baby iguana that passed while were working on the project. May he rest in peace under that banana tree.

Ivy Vinesce - The Green Iguana Project

From all corners they come, to hear the story of the Green Iguana. Indeed, the San Ignacio Resort Hotel sees visitors from Norway, Canada, Germany, The U.S., and many other countries around the globe coming and visiting the project. But the Project does not only draw from the pool of international ecotourism, it also brings school groups in so that the public may be educated as to the threats facing these Iguanas. As I worked with these amazing creatures, I gained not only an understanding of their life cycles and lifestyles, but I also forged a deeper connection as I familiarized myself with the Iguanas in the project, and felt appreciation for the species as a whole. However, I soon discovered that my favorite aspect of the internship was not that I was able to handle the Iguanas or care for their daily needs, but rather I most enjoyed my time spent sharing my concern and interest in the Iguanas with the people who came through, and then watching as their faces would light up when told they could hold the creatures and I knew they too came to see the importance of protecting this species.

Through the internship I gained an inside perspective on a wildlife conservation effort, and was also able to experience the feel of the job. These both showed a laid-back style, and despite the language barrier (which crumbled more everyday as I grew an ear for Creole and learned to better communicate in Spanish) the atmosphere was very warm and welcoming. I learned much through my work with the Project, and the Green Iguana will forever be close to my heart.

Courtney Holm - San Antonio Women's Group

I did my internship at San Antonio’s Women’s Group. I worked with different women in leadership positions for the group on how to do their work better. I worked with Sara on inventory. We counted and labeled all items for sale. I worked with Marleni on bookkeeping. We figured out how best to pay for bills and what was needed for record keeping. I worked with Josefa on how best to record items for sale. I worked with all of them on their specific job tasks so there was no overlapping and they each knew what was expected from everyone else. I also was able to teach the women how to use the spin wheel for ceramics. I was able to give them some helpful suggestions on how to make their pots even. I had a homestay with Timotea and her three daughters. She is the president of the Women’s Group. I was able to talk with her about her dreams and desires for the group and for herself. I was also able to see how her daughters were raised and their dreams for their futures. I learned so much on how Mayan women live day-to-day and their joy for their families.

Tamryn Fyvie - King's Children Home

My name is Tamryn Fyvie and my internship was at King’s Children Home in Belmopan. I spent everyday with about fifty Belizean children who had been abused, neglected, abandoned or orphaned. An amazing woman named Leonie Herrera-Gilham started the home in 1985 after being abused herself as a child. I worked there daily from 8-5, playing with the kids, home schooling, doing laundry and other tasks. At any given time I had five or so children clamoring around me, wanting me to read stories or sometimes just wanting to be held. This internship has changed the way I look at childcare and how I feel about the necessity of a healthy home. King’s is a truly incredible place that is difficult to put into words. The diversity of personality, race and background is astounding. The heights of character that these children have reached despite their circumstances are a testament to the power of Christ. I have come to love these children and I cannot explain to you how difficult it was to leave them. If you are interested in donating, volunteering or learning more about King’s Children Home please go to http://www.kingschildrenshome.org/.

Joelle Van Gaalen - Belize Botanical Gardens

What is the easiest way to kill an orchid? Too much water. Native orchids in Belize are tropical rainforest plants which grow on trees, and they die when their roots get too wet. I learned all about about orchid care at BBG, the Belize Botanical Gardens, through my work with the native orchid collection. My main task was to work to beautify and more orchids to the Orchid House. While working with orchids I learned about watering, repotting, and propagation techniques, and also made lots of baskets for the orchids

While working on various projects, the Belizean gardeners told me many stories and I learned a lot about their lives and families during the internship weeks. None of the guys working at the garden have a formal eduction past high school, and some never finished high school, yet they know a lot about native plants and also about the medicinal and historical Mayan uses for many native plants.

During the internship weeks I also had a host family. My host family had 10 kids, and they lived in a 4 room house, complete with an outhouse and bucket showers because there was no running water. They are a pretty typical Belizean family, and they treated me well as I tried to communicate with the family members who spoke mostly Spanish!

I love the internship as it gave me a chance to learn the names of many native plants, and learn about the culture of Belize through the gardeners and my host family.

Patty Lin - Belize Zoo

Visiting the Minnesota Zoo or Sea World in California have always made me love the idea of training and caring for animals. “Dolphin trainer” has been my “job that I’d love but will never pursue.” However, the past two weeks gave me a taste of zookeeping when I interned at the Belize Zoo. Each morning when I arrived I got to work preparing the food plates for the fruit eating birds. After feeding the birds, I’d go with one of the zookeepers (each have a different emphasis: birds, mammals, or jaguars and other big cats) to assist them in whatever cleaning they had to get done that day – lots of scrubbing and sweeping and changing of water. Then more cleaning and more feeding – but I’m not complaining; I loved getting in the cages with all these cool animals!

It was amazing being so up close and personal with the native animals of Belize. Some days I got to help with the “jaguar encounter” – where visitors were able to back scratch, belly scratch and feed Junior, the education jaguar of the zoo. Other days I hand fed scarlet macaws, harpy eagles, tapirs, and various other animals.

These types of close encounters definitely deepened my appreciation for and therefore desire to care for and preserve God’s good creation.

Katie Hoffsmith - Cornerstone Foundation

I’m Katie Hoffsmith and my past two weeks were spent interning at Cornerstone Foundation located in San Ignacio, Belize. Cornerstone is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that focuses on recognizing the specific needs facing the community. These needs mainly deal with women, children, youth and HIV/AIDS victims. Cornerstone has developed programs and projects that work specifically with these needs. Volunteers are brought in from all over the world to work with these programs. While interning at Cornerstone, I was able to observe and also assist the organization in different areas. A large amount of my time was spent painting the feeding area, where children would come in during lunch for a meal provided by Cornerstone. During lunch, I would prepare meals with the cook and then go on a food run around the community and distribute food to schools and elderly. I also started a small garden that will provide vegetables for the feeding program. It was exciting to be working with and observing a Belizean run non-profit organization. Through this experience, I was able to build relationships with both the staff and the volunteers. This experience has opened my eyes to a new culture and has definitely challenged me in many ways.

A Week in the Jungle

Somewhere between running through the jungle after a paca and singing worship songs while in total darkness of a cave, we realized that we were learning in a whole new way. For our first installment of the three-part Tropical Ecosystems course, professor David Foster took us deep into the jungle to learn about forest ecology.

We spent the first several days of the class at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve. This was the perfect location for this course, and we were constantly learning so much about how all the different parts of the jungle worked together. We saw an amazing variety of wildlife, from the beautiful Ringed Kingfisher to the fascinating leafcutter ants. There was a lot of vegetation to observe, as well. Many of the trees had large buttresses to stabilize them in the often-moist soil, and epiphytes grew all over the trees, sending their roots down to the ground from above. We even did some night hikes to see a whole other side to the jungle!

Toward the end of our time at Cockscomb, the students all divided into groups for observation projects. Patty and Katie worked with leafcutter ants to see what kind of obstacles affected their ability to maintain their path. Heidi and Courtney examined the differences in vegetation as the altitude increased. Joelle, Ivy, and Tamryn compared the micro-habitats of a tree found in a swamp and a tree found by the riverside. Afterward, we all got to hear each other's presentations and learn even more!

Before returning to the Nab, we stopped by the Maya Center Women's Co-op. Here women can learn skills such as weaving and pottery, and they can then sell what they make through the co-op. This allows them to gain some financial stability, which in turn works to empower them. It was amazing to see a lot of quality items available for sale, and to realize the good it was doing for that community.

After Cockscomb, we made a couple of day-trips to see more examples of forest systems. One trip we made was to Mountain Pine Ridge, where the jungle suddenly turns into pine forest! It was very odd to see, and fascinating to study. While there, we stopped at the 1,000-foot Falls, which was a pretty area for having lunch and learning more about the pine forest. The other trip we made was to Blue Hole National Park. Here we explored deep into pitch-black caves, and we swam in the cold, crystal-clear water of a pool at the mouth of an underground cave system.

Needless to say, after a week spent mostly in the jungle, we were all feeling a little dirty and a little tired, so we treated ourselves to a spa night! Amidst lit candles, we had different cleansing and relaxing stations set up: home-made natural face masks with cucumber slices, citrus "squeaky-clean" foot wash, manicure, massage, and cookies and milk! We all definitely got into it.

The students then departed for their first week of internships! We had them all back this past weekend, and everyone's been doing really well and learning a lot. After one more week, they'll be back again to stay. They'll be writing their own blog entries to fill everyone in on their experiences, so be sure to watch for that!

Wherever You Go, There You Are

Robert Pelant, our most recent professor for Sustainable Community Development 1, reminded us that we are always connected to the places we find ourselves in and the people we meet. We explored our connections to Belize as we spent the week of Robert’s class looking at what goes into true sustainability and then seeing examples through our fieldtrips. Our first trip was to the Mollejon hydroelectric dam, which is one of three dams on the Macal River. These dams have created controversy due to pollution and the ways they’ve altered the surrounding area, including a change in the flood patterns of an important alluvial plain. On our visit, however, we heard the positive side to the dams, the biggest argument being that it helps Belize be less reliant on other countries for electricity. That evening, Kimo Jolly—a local environmentalist who grew up near the Macal River—gave a talk on his view of the dams, which touched on environmental, political, and cultural issues. It was very enlightening to have multiple views to compare.

In addition to the dam, we spent a half day at another Mennonite community called Spanish Lookout. These Mennonites were much less conservative than those at Barton Creek, but the strong sense of community was still very present. In Spanish Lookout, we met a farm owner named Peter Reimer, and we observed aspects of sustainability both on the farm and in the town. Peter and his family also made us a delicious lunch with amazing chocolate cake for dessert. Before leaving Spanish Lookout, we toured the production plant of Western Dairies, the major supplier of milk, cheese, and ice cream for all of Belize. We had heard Western Dairies ice cream is very good, but of course we had to try it for ourselves!

Outside of class, some of the girls continued to connect with the community of Succotz by playing with them in a soccer game against another nearby village. The Succotz team won with a score of 3-0! It was a great time for both those who played and the rest of us who cheered from the sidelines.

For those of us who found the will to awaken early in the morning, the launch of the Ruta Maya—a 4-day canoe race from San Ignacio to Belize City—was a blast to watch. People all over the banks of the Macal River cheered and laughed as many canoes swerved, bobbed, and toppled, while competing for a front space.

This past Saturday, we all packed our bags and headed to Guatemala! We journeyed to Tikal, one of the largest Mayan ruins, and spent the day exploring the site. The structures were huge, and it was amazing to think that the Mayans constructed it all without modern technology! We climbed to the top of the tallest temple, and from there we had an amazing view of the ruins and the jungle. We also got to see lots of wildlife while walking through the jungle, including spider monkeys, howler monkeys, parrots, and oropendolas.


After Tikal, we headed to our hotel which was situated a short boat-ride away from Flores. We enjoyed an evening of chatting and playing games after a delicious dinner, which included some of the sweetest pineapple we've ever tasted. On Sunday morning, some of us hiked to a lookout—which was actually an unexcavated Mayan ruin—near our hotel that gave an amazing view of Flores and the lake all around. We later explored Flores in small groups and then the students were off on spring break!

The students will arrive back on campus tomorrow! It will be very exciting to see them all again and to hear everyone's stories from break.