For two weeks now since the murder of Danny Conorquie - national attention has been laser focused on the western border with Guatemala - and the 25 miles or so that abut the Chiquibul forest. And, the friends for Conservation and Development, which co-manages the Chiquibul National Park says the attention is much needed. That's because the Chiquibul, which is four times the size of Barbados, needs more boots on the ground. The BDF has already sent more soldiers, but the Friends have to provide Forest Rangers to accompany them - to gather important information about the preservation and the plunder of the largest conservation area in Belize. And so the FCD is hoping to harness public interest in the area - to get some support for their rangers program. They're organizing a telethon - and today at a press conference they told the media why:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
In ten days Camp Valentin will be fully operational. It is a conservation post which sits just across the border form the Guatemalan village of La Rejoya - and angry villagers came across on Friday demanding that it be taken down:
Raphael Manzanero, Executive Director - FCD
"I think certainly they really see it as a barrier upon what they having practice to do over the years. If we have something to learn as a country is that we certainly have to stand our ground, we have to be bold in terms of putting these interventions. We have always said at FCD that the only way to govern a land is to have a presence on the ground. But we will need to stand our ground and to demonstrate that we certainly have sovereignty in terms of maintaining that land that is basically right here as part of our territory."
And the ones who are going to be taking that stand are Rangers from Friends for Conservation and Development - because it is not a military post, but a conservation post:
Raphael Manzanero, Executive Director - FCD
"Where do we get the men to put in there because this is a conservation post? This is not a military base. The BDF are there only to support the conservation cause because this is inside of protective areas."
Now FCD is having a telethon to ask you to help:
Valerie Woods, FCD Volunteer
"Belize City alone is roughly about 60,000 - 70,000 population. Discount 50% of ot to those of us who are employed, the working population - 30,000 - 35,000 - $10 dollars per that amount gets them a long way in meeting that target."
They didn't state a flat target - but FCD needs 24 rangers at a cost of twenty four thousand dollars annually per ranger - right now, they have only 7 - to cover a vast area:
Raphael Manzanero, Executive Director - FCD
"We are talking about nearly half a million acres of land. We are looking at 7.7% of Belize, so in practice we can claim that each one of my rangers have 1% of Belize that they can represent in the jungle. And of course anybody will say, but our plan, that is impossible - of course we understand that."
Dr. Colin Young, Former Chairman - FCD
"This is not an easy job. This is a herculean job, it's massive and I think that there is perhaps a disconnect in the larger media and the Belizean population as to the challenges that is associated with the management of the most dangerous protected area in Belize to manage."
And that's why they are making this appeal:
Dr. Colin Young, Former Chairman - FCD
"Whatever we can do as citizens of Belize to help FCD to raise funds to allow that organization to hire more rangers, we have to do that."
Amin Bedran, Member - FCD Board of Directors
"I do believe that this thing about adapting a ranger is an excellent idea. I think that all the companies here in Belize that could afford to help in this - it's a very important reserve."
The telethon is set for October 18th from 10am to 6:00 pm at Memorial Park and will be carried on all media outlets.
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