Marine Ecology

synchro
Originally uploaded by Creation Care Study Program.

We had a great week for marine ecology. The first few days were spent at Nabitunich learning about reef ecology in the classroom. We then wasted no time heading out to Calabash Caye, the University of Belize research station. What an amazing place! We were able to go on so many interesting snorkels and learn so much.
Thanks Ian Johnston from Bethel University for such a great week!
Click Here for great photos of our Marine Ecology week

Stream Ecology

Checking the pH of Barton Creek
Originally uploaded by Creation Care Study Program.

After internships we enjoyed getting back into our study of tropical ecology with a week studying streams. Thank you John Wood from The King's College for coming down and teaching a great course. This trip involved many a good field trip wading into water: measuring physical properties of the streams, collecting invertebrates, and talking about human impacts. It was a great course to have fall during some of Belize's most warm months!
Click here for more pics from Stream Ecology Week

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

Mark's Internship at Bocawina Mayflower

Mark at Bocawina
Originally uploaded by Creation Care Study Program.

Over the past two weeks I spent my internship at the extremely beautiful Mayflower Bocawina National Park in the Stann Creek District. At the park I was asked to create a plant exhibit which would be used for educating school children on the importance of the rainforest and the need to protect it. I also was given the opportunity to work with the two wardens at the park over the two weeks. My time with them was spent maintaining a few of their trails and creating some new ones. As well, the wardens taught me a lot about how the Mayans used many of the plants in the rainforest. During my internship I also had the opportunity to do a home stay with a Garifuna family in the community of Silk Grass. This was a really great learning experience. The people were very hospitable and welcoming. Even though I was an outsider they wanted me to participate and get to know the people within the community. My internship experience was a very enjoyable time to really get to know some of the local people in Belize. It also was a great time to learn more about conservation and environmental issues that face the country.

Mark van der Woerd
Redeemer College

Kristen's Internship at the King's Children Home

Kristen and Josiah at The King's Childrens Home
Originally uploaded by Creation Care Study Program.

For my two week internship I had the opportunity to go to King’s Children Home in Belmopan. There were fifty-two kids living in the home which resulted in a lot of chaos. The majority of the time I spent simply playing with the kids and building relationships with them and the other staff. I also tutored, changed diapers, folded laundry, washed dishes, took kids to and from school,
and many other little things to help out with running the home. Running a
place like King’s Children Home takes a lot of dedication from the staff and
only if you have a true passion and calling from God can you continue to do
it. This internship made me realize how blessed I am in many areas of my life and how much I’ve taken for granted sometimes. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed every minute. It was very a very tiring but very rewarding one. I am blessed to have had the chance to go love these kids. Hopefully, it will work out to be able to go spend a day or two with them again before I head back home to the States.

Kristen Murch
Hope College