THE ENTIRE BELIZE ZOO IS NOW ACCESSIBLE!

News from Sharon and Jamal!

After two years of fund-raising and design work and then actual on-the-ground work, the zoo is now 100 percent accessible.  The rose-coloured pathways no longer stop and go, they simply GO!   And lots of happy moments are to be had for anyone with diverse abilities.  Some of the zoo animals come close up to see their wheelchair visitors.  Not used to seeing kids or adults in “moving chairs," the animal curiosity is also fun to observe.

Our help has come from various sincere and kind sources.  No words can fully serve to sufficiently thank the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland, who not only raised funds for this important project, but then their students and instructor all came to Belize to assist in building the pathways.  Pathway construction supervisor, Mr. Max was skeptical seeing his young female assistants come on board.  However, he quickly changed his initial “first opinion” when these young ladies eagerly pushed wheelbarrows and shoveled cement, day after day!  “Girl power” to the max, Mr. Max!

Local business contributions also assisted our efforts.  As did a superb gift from Mr. Peter Hughes and his colleagues at the British High Commission.  Our area representative,  Hon. Dolores Balderamos,  kindly made a contribution to show her support of this work.   Last December, while still not fully finished, the Belize Assembly for People with Diverse Abilities (BAPDA) came to the zoo to celebrate World Disabilities Day.  Smiling kids in wheelchairs glided down the pathways and saw our jaguars and toucans.  “Rose” the crocodile made an appearance to add to the magic of the celebration, while officials from BAPDA excitedly spoke about returning  so that all could experience the fun and excitement  again.

Each week, our zoo crew sees more and more wheelchair using visitors.  And visitors who do the “walk about” frequently comment on the pathways, too.  “It’s fun to walk on," - we often hear that statement.  Due to the pathway construction technique, perfected by long-term zoo employee, Tony Garel, the air and gravel mixture with just the right amount of cement, provides a bit of a “cushion” for all of our zoo visitors.  And for parents with strollers, a zoo visit is an easy visit, and a delight for stroller-passengers, too.

At this time, The Belize Zoo is the only nature destination in Belize

which is accessible.  We are proud and happy about this accomplishment!   Good Zoo?  We have always been a very good zoo.  However, now we truly are, “The Best Little Zoo in the World."

ZOO PATHWAY POUNCES FORWARD!

From Sharon...

In its second year of development, the beautiful accessible pathway which winds its way throughout The Best Little Zoo in the world, STILL is not fully complete.  The project is a costly one.  Although funds were raised both in Belize and from foreign donors, more were needed to see the work go forward into a final and happy finished phase.

Pathway Event - March 2014

The month of March has proven to be a magical month for Belize Zoo pathway progress.  First off, a request for funding help which was submitted to the British High Commission, received a thumbs up!  These good folks see the imperative need to have the zoo be accessible for all.  They share our vision that the beauty of the zoo and its great character will have an everlasting place in Belizean society as a caring and forward-thinking institution.  Wheelchairs, walkers, canes and strollers can easily travel the rose-coloured zoo pathway.  Presently, the zoo is the only nature destination in Belize which is accessible, and we hope that this is a trend which will grow to other destinations in our country.

Then, our long-standing friends from SUNY Cortland, in New York, arrived to actually do the manual labour required to expand the pathway!  Nine students, under the competent direction of Professor Vicki Wilkins, took the hot weather in stride, as they pushed wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow full of stone chips to the pathway site.  Except for one lone male, the SUNY Cortland pathway crew was a crew of young women who had tons of determination and enthusiasm.  Would the portion of the pathway targeted for completion really happen?  The time schedule was brutal.  They had four days before a small event would happen, announcing the new portion of the zoo which was now (hopefully) accessible.

Accessible Walkway Gets a Big Boost

Thanks to their hard work and determination, yes!  The deadline was met.  The SUNY Cortland group had also spent time fund-raising for this good effort before arriving to Belize.  Their generous contribution, along with that of the British High Commission, will nearly see the entire pathway become a “done deal”.  But more happy surprises were to be had.  Our area representative, Hon. Dolores Balderamos, came to attend the ceremony.  She noted that the zoo was consistent in including the children from neighboring La Democracia and Mahogany Heights in its many programs and activities.  She strongly believes in the need for the zoo to become fully accessible to ALL Belizeans.  In the not-so-distant past, Ms. Dolores provided funding support to see that our accessible washroom could be built.  It was, and is often used by those with diverse abilities.  On this day of celebration, Ms. Dolores presented a check which will assist in the final stages of the development of our much-needed, much-appreciated accessible pathway.

Also present at the ceremony were key members of the Belize Assembly for People with Diverse Abilities, BAPDA.  Ms. Eve Middleton provided all with an overview of the difficulties which those who have various disabilities face on a daily basis here in our country.  She applauded the efforts The Belize Zoo has made to provide a place of fun and recreation for those people who so need an out-of-doors destination to enjoy with friends and family.

The Belize Zoo thanks SUNY Cortland, The British High Commission, Hon. Dolores Balderamos, BAPDA, and our good friends, LOVE FM, for continued support, encouragement and fine friendship.  

A Magnificent Celebration on International Disability Day

News from Jamal and Sharon...

Joy and excitement rang through the air recently at The Belize Zoo, as we held a special celebration to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities.   

BAPDA at The Belize Zoo

The Belize Assembly for Persons with Diverse Abilities, BAPDA,  had inquired about celebrating this important day at the Zoo.  BAPDA manager, Eva Middleton, organized the early December visit.  She had been following the Zoo’s progress over the past year, as we have diligently been working to see that this superb facility become accessible to all Belizeans.  Rose-coloured pathways, which are wheelchair and stroller friendly, wind their way past jaguars and tapirs, toucans and monkeys.  The Best Little Zoo in the World can be enjoyed by everyone now in Belizean society.

Ms. Middleton said that the Zoo was perfectly aligned with the theme for 2013:  “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive society and development for all”   It had been over twenty-five years since Eva Middleton last passed through the zoo.  She was joyfully astounded.  “Before I lost my leg, I could go into the rain forest.  Today, I felt like I was back in the forest again.” 

A group of about fifty guests from BAPDA and Stella Maris School joined educators Jamal Andrewin and Johanna Pacheco on an exciting Zoo highlights tour. “Lucky Boy” the black jaguar and jaguar ambassador “Junior Buddy” seemed to know that this was a special day.  They wasted no time coming up to greet their guests, and their guests were visibly thrilled.  Everyone had the opportunity to enjoy close up meetings with our national animal, the Central American tapir, and our beautiful national bird, the keel-billed toucan!

BAPDA Guests Meeting Rose the Croc

The excitement did not end with a zoo tour.  As the group gathered at the front of the Zoo for refreshments, Zoo Director Sharon Matola joined Jamal Andrewin to make a special presentation for the group.  A new colouring book, THE ABC’S OF WILD AND WONDERFUL BELIZE, was given to all of our special guests.  Having received support from the State University of New York  at Cortland (SUNY Cortland), SUNY Cortland’s, Inclusive Recreation Resource Center, this activity oriented colouring book, dedicated to children with disabilities, is the Zoo’s newest and proud resource.  Students and professors from SUNY Cortland will be assisting the Zoo in raising much-needed funds to fully finish the accessible walkway.  We are currently 80 percent complete, and look forward to seeing the entire Zoo accessible!

Being so special, the colouring book deserved a special intro! Providing that moment of exciting introduction was a job for a zoo ambassador.  “Rose” the crocodile took on the task with reptilian delight.  As the books were passed out, “Rose” assisted with photo and petting opportunities, adding an element of learning and surprise which was unexpected by all.

Past president of BAPDA, Jerome Flores, who was the Zoo’s expert consultant on the accessible walkway, joined current BAPDA president, Marshall Nunez and manager Eva Middleton, as kind and heartfelt thanks were given.  No one wanted to leave!  The Belize Zoo looks forward to more visits from BAPDA folks, Stella Maris children, and to all with disabilities.  Transforming our beautiful animal sanctuary into an accessible destination, has added a big and shining star to the profile of The Best Little Zoo in the World. 

TBZ CONTINUES TO WORK FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

From Sharon and Jamal . . .

While our accessible pathway is not yet complete, the attractive pink avenue which presently winds around a good portion of the Zoo, has provided a wonderful recreation area for those who are challenged by disabilities.   Over a year ago, our staff all agreed that it just was not fair to have some of the most stunning wildlife in the world, only viewable by those who can walk easily around the Zoo.   How about our Belizean adults and children who spend each and everyday in a wheelchair?   Or the elderly who would adore sharing the animals of Belize with their grandchildren, but just could not consider a fun day out simply due to the challenges of walking the zoo pathways?  All of these Belizean folks should be able to scratch the nose of a mountain cow, or get mere inches away from Lucky Boy, our gorgeous black jaguar.

In order to make The Belize Zoo accessible, a major development scheme had to be put into place.  Fortunately, our zoo has had the strong support and encouragement from the State University of New York, (SUNY) Cortland, to assist with our efforts.  There are academic formal programs, based at SUNY Cortland’s Inclusive Recreation Resource Center (IRRC), which focus upon the resource needs for those challenged by various disabilities.  Students from these programs, led by their expert instructors in the art of accessibility, have spent time at the Zoo and assisted in seeing that we are a friendly destination for those folks with physical disabilities.

The dream is not yet complete. Our pink pathway must be in place around the entire Zoo, and while funding has stalled the progress, the plans are still “on the boards”.   We plan to have an accessible picnic area outside of the zoo, and of course, with a suitable restroom facility, too.  A pathway there will go from this area-of-chill-out, directly into The Belize Zoo.

Our superb colleagues based in SUNY Cortland, joined by TBZ Environmental Educator, Jamal Andrewin, will be aggressively working together to secure funds which will work to see that the dream of The Belize Zoo becoming completely accessible to all is realized.  This coming December, we will be hosting a day at the zoo for members of B.A.P.D.A, the Belize Assembly for People with Diverse Abilities.  And all Belizeans with physical challenges facing them in their world, will be invited to join in on what promises to be, a most memorable day of fun.

The Best Little Zoo in the World, thanks to our Zoo Friends both here and abroad, is simply becoming better and better.

    

SUNY Cortland Students to Hold Fundraising Event

Conservation Without Borders: TBZ and SUNY Cortland

Please enjoy this special guest post by Belize Zoo Environmental Educator, Jamal Andrewin-Bohn, who recently traveled from Belize and his work at the zoo to SUNY Cortland, to participate in its Field Biology course at SUNY Cortland's Outdoor Education Center at Raquette Lake:

As TBZ approaches its 30^th year, it continues to grow as a superb wildlife conservation facility. The Zoo itself being greatly improved, and its relationships and connections are being expanded and strengthened locally and internationally. 

And, what better proof of this than the Zoo’s recent involvement with SUNY Cortland’s Field Biology course in New York? The Zoo has a very special bond with the wonderful people and institutions of upstate New York, from the continuous animal adoptions by Tully Junior High’s International Club, to the great working relationship with Cornell University’s Vet School, to the fervent and undying support of SUNY Cortland, which even has a Margay adopted in honour of the great university.  The Margay, called “Cortland,” is a star! How so? The smaller cat pictured on the wonderful wildlife corridor billboard at Mile 40 on the Western Highway is the one and only Cortland!

Professor Tom Pasquarello has been the great link between TBZ and SUNY Cortland.  He decided many moons ago that the Zoo had a great deal to offer SUNY’s students, through involvement in their annual summer field course.

Plans were set in motion, and in no time at all, TBZ’s Environmental Educator, Jamal Andrewin-Bohn was off to SUNY’s Outdoor Education Center in the vast forest reserve of the Adirondacks.  There, he took part in their Field Biology Course, under the talented direction of SUNY Cortland Professors Steven Broyles and Larry Klotz, who were well versed in both temperate and tropical biology. As Mr. Jamal joined his SUNY peers in studying everything from Forest and Mountain Ecology, to Limnology, the professors wasted no time in asking him to compare and draw parallels to the ecosystems in Belize.  This gave all the students a valuable insight into the workings of the Tropics.

After the first exciting week of the course, Mr. Jamal was invited to give a guest lecture on Conservation efforts in Belize, showcasing the fantastic work the Zoo and its partners have done on behalf of our country’s invaluable natural resources. Talks on environmental education and the Central Wildlife Corridor impressed students and professors alike. The super cool documentary about Harpy Eagles in Belize, “Hope for Climate Change” was shared, giving a Tropical perspective to the issue of global climate change. The story of the rescue and survival of “Lucky Boy” the black jaguar struck a strong chord with the audience, and was met with thunderous applause. Mr. Jamal was bombarded with questions about internships and research opportunities in Belize through the Zoo by eager students, promising even more collaboration between TBZ and SUNY Cortland. Additional presentations and fundraising opportunities are already on the horizon, as the Zoo gears up for another visit to New York, sharing its latest projects with even bigger audiences!

TBZ greatly values this extraordinary learning experience, and the knowledge gained most definitely benefits the important education objectives and programs of “the best little zoo in the world.”