As Maya sites go, El Pilar in extreme western Belize could be called the
baby of the bunch. And we don't mean in terms of size, because in fact it is
the second largest archaeological reserve in Belize. But unlike Altun Ha and
Caracol, Pilar is still largely un-excavated. For heavy-legged tourist who like
to see sites tricked out like Tikal, that's not a good thing, but for the managers
at El Pilar that weathered look is precisely what they're after. Most of the
work at the site focuses on preserving the uncharted jungle environs that smother
the site. It's a concept called "Archaeology under the canopy" and
it celebrates the site as it exists beneath the jungle cover that shrouds it.
And that marriage of nature and antiquity is what a new book hopes to impress
in the minds of Belizean students. It is a coloring book and it's aimed at standard
three students as part of the African and Maya history curriculum. We found
out more at this morning's launching.
Keith Swift Reporting,
66-year-old Alfonso Tzul from Cayo is one of a dying breed of forest gardeners.
he doesn't just live or work in the jungle - his life is the jungle and it's
been that way from as far back as he can remember. But gardeners like Tzul are
now an endangered species.
Alfonso Tzul, Forest Gardener
"We must view the forest as something as a gift that's eternal only
if we take care of it."
And to take care of the legacy - you need to know it. And while these standard
three students from St. Mary's Primary School got to hear it from Tzul's mouth
- most students won't get that chance. That is where this coloring book comes
in. It's called the Maya Forest Garden and El Pilar coloring book. it was written
by Dr. Anabel Ford - a researcher who focuses on the Mayan landscape of El Pilar
and the Maya forest as a garden.
Dr. Anabel Ford,
"What small thing I can say in here, whatever I have learnt and whatever
things I haven't learn that are in here, are because I haven't asked the right
questions. We need to begin to ask that. This is a tiny book, it is not the
encyclopedia. I hope that the students in standard three will be able to start
bringing forward this wonderful chance to save the Mayan forest."
And so how much help will a coloring book be? Well NICH President Yasser Musa
it will hopefully help a lot. the plan is to distribute copies of the coloring
book to every single standard three-student in Belize.
Yasser Musa, NICH President
"This book is one firm example of what can and should continue to be
down in the area of cooperation. The launch of this book is not an end to itself.
We've made it a point to ensure that we have enough copies, over 8,000 to distribute
free of cost to each standard three student in this country. Our plan is over
the next few months to assist standard three teachers and educators in using
a teacher's guide that Anabel has prepared. This guide will be an important
resource not just for standard three but for the entire primary school system
as it embraces some of the important themes being covered in the ongoing African
and Mayan history program."
The National Institute of Culture and History, through the Ministry of Education,
will distribute the 8 thousand books to primary school students free of cost.
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