Belize is small Central American country on the Caribbean coast, formerly British Honduras and independent since 1981. The land area of 8,866 square miles is only slightly larger than Massachusetts. Belize has at least 540 species of birds, including many exotic tropical birds but also shares many species with Santa Barbara. Too little information is available to know if any of the neotropical migrants we see in Santa Barbara spend part of their time in Belize.

SBAS President Darlene Chirman visited the office of the Belize Audubon Society while assisting on University of California plant-animal interaction research project in the rainforest of Belize. SBAS Conservation Committee suggests that we look at ways in which SBAS can support the conservation activities of Belize Audubon Society, which has been active since 1969 in conservation, advocacy and environmental education, and since 1982 manages eight National Parks and Protected areas for the government of Belize.

The Wildlife Preservation Trust International funds wildlife conservation projects in Belize for several reasons: the diverse wildlife; there is still time to act; one third of the land area of Belize under environmental protection, but some protection minimal and little money for management in this developing country; and the low human population density (26/square mile) with high growth rate of 2.4%. Small amounts of support could make a big difference in preservation of the rainforest and great barrier reef habitats.

The Belize Audubon Society held an International Birdfest in Belize in October 2000. You can check their website or email them to see if they'll be organizing another next year. A great way to assist the Belize Audubon Society and to give our members the opportunity for some great birding! Belize is a great destination for eco-tours, and you can visit National Parks and natural areas managed by Belize Audubon Society.

Website information contacts:
Chapter office address:
5679 Hollister Ave., Suite 5b
Goleta, CA 93117
805-964-1468
Chapter email: audubon@rain.org
Website by:
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Updated: July 2, 2002