Peter's Internship at the BBG

Peter at the BBG
Originally uploaded by Creation Care Study Program.

I spent the last two weeks at the Belize Botanic Gardens, right here in Cayo. My internship consisted of lots of different tasks. I spent the most of my time working on an agroforestry project. They’re growing fishtail palms, along with a variety of other cash crops (coffee, mahogany, and cacao) on the forest floor. The fishtail palm is illegally harvested in forests and is in becoming endangered. The project will provide farmers with guidelines for growing their own palms, as well as protect the wild fishtail palms.
I also spent a lot of time working with an eccentric Englishmen, named Martin Meadows, whose been living in Belize for 35 years. He had many crazy stories of jungle treks, and a vast knowledge of local flora. He worked me hard, building benches, but he definitely taught me a lot. Another man, a Mayan named Lloyd, showed me around and I worked with him learning basic horticultural skills, like grafting and pruning.
It was a great time, working during the day and hanging out by the river at night. I got the chance to camp out of the nearby resort and spend lots of time with staff and travelers. I even got too see an emerald toucanette, and a kinkajou.

Peter deKoning
The King's College