Country: 
Belize
Organizational Focus: 
Advocacy, Conservation, Education/Outreach, Marine Protected Areas, Policy/Lobbying
Range of Work: 
International, National
Region: 
Latin America/Caribbean, MesoAmerica
Organization Type: 
Non-governmental/Non-Profit Organization
Keywords: 
Children's Education, Community Involvement, Coral Reef, Education, Legislation/Policy, Management, Marine Protected Areas, Scientific Research
Description: 

The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to the sustainable management of our natural through leadership and strategic partnerships with stakeholders in order to create balance between people and the environment. Our programme of activities includes the management of eight protected areas on behalf of the Government of Belize, as well as environmental education and advocacy., , The main work of BAS focuses on the conservation of Belize_s natural environment. It does this through the following programmes: Integrated Resource Management, Environmental Advocacy/ Monitoring, and Environmental Education., , BAS has 40 full time staff. This includes the executive director, a protected areas team, an environmental education director, an advocacy/policy director and marketing and development director. Our protected areas team consists of a highly skilled marine protected areas coordinator, a marine biologist, a GIS information analyst (we host the Belize Biodiversity Information System), an overall protected areas programme director, park naturalists and wardens as well as a terrestrial protected areas coordinator, a co-management protected areas coordinator and community mobilization officer., , The goals of this team include consolidating our protected areas programme to include participation of resource users as well as an innovative research programme aimed at providing relevant information for the comprehension, protection, and sustainable use of the different areas we manage. BAS manages the Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monuments, both part of the Belize Barrier Reef System (a _UNESCO World Heritage Site_, as well as Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (a RAMSAR site), the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Victoria Peak Natural Monument, Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, Blue Hole National Park and Guanacaste National Park., , Our protected areas team has made enormous strides in developing workable solutions to Community / NGO protected areas management. The protected area team has been addressing these issues through training, sustainable livelihood development as well as park management advisory committees for well over a year. Recognizing the need for stakeholder-based management, the BAS has engaged in and developed a Lighthouse Reef Advisory Committee and advisory committees in five buffer zones in the north and ten in the south., , Under its new strategic plan (2002-2006), BAS_ new aim is to be able to manage many protected areas with limited resources. The organization has grown from a small entity with limited resources to become a leader through its management, creativity and innovation of staff and the Board. It has risen to challenges in the past and is planning strategies to meet future ones. BAS is expected to set standards, which is a serious responsibility., ,

Website: 
http://www.belizeaudubon.org
Contact Info
First Name: 
Valdemar
Last Name: 
Andrade
Email: 
Email (Secondary): 
Phone: 
(501) 223-4987
Phone (Secondary): 
4988 / 5004
Fax: 
(501) 223-4985
Address
12 Fort St.
PO Box 1001
City: 
Belize City