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Rio Bravo, Belize
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| View Partner Program Profile |
The Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA) comprises 240,000 acres of dense rainforest, making it the largest private protected area in Belize.
Established in 1988, Programme for Belize (PfB) is a private, non-profit conservation organization with management responsibility for the RBCMA. PfB conducts research, conservation education, professional training and community outreach, including the encouragement of ecologically sound economic activity in the villages surrounding the management area.
Ecotourism
One of PfB's greatest strengths is its ecotourism program. Since 1992, PfB has been conducting educational and ecologically sensitive tourism at Rio Bravo. PfB's ecotourism operation has several objectives:
- To develop sustainable tourism which will provide a consistent stream of income that can be applied to the conservation, protection and management of the RBCMA,
- To provide visitors with an exceptional forest experience which integrates visitation with education, thereby facilitating a deepened understanding of the real issues surrounding conservation of the world's great tropical forests and,
- To participate in the economic and social development of the greater Rio Bravo area by incorporating the buffer-zone communities in PfB's ecotourism activities.
La Milpa, the main ecotourism site, offers two types of accommodation: state-of-the-art "green" dormitories (featuring solar power and composting toilets) and separate thatched roof cabanas with private baths. Also featured are an educational center with library and lecture room, a system of interpreted trails and a staff of highly trained field guides and service personnel. These amenities support and complement the archaeological and forest management research facilities at the site. The combination of the two offers a unique educational and experiential opportunity for researchers, students and tourists.
Attractions
Visitors are offered exceptional forest experiences including jungle trekking and birding (150 species can be found in the area), cultural interaction at nearby Maya, Mestizo and Mennonite communities and a chance to explore La Milpa Maya site, the third largest archaeological site in Belize and one of sixty other archaeological sites on the Rio Bravo. In 1996, a royal Maya tomb was discovered at La Milpa, unearthing a male skeleton adorned with a jeweled necklace. Visitors can have the opportunity to meet archaeologists working in the area and even catch a presentation of their work.
Conservation in Action
In addition to employment opportunities at the tourism sites, Programme for Belize also supports the social and economic well being of the Rio Bravo District through training and development programs for area artisans, cultural groups and locally-owned tourist attractions. Additionally, PfB each year offers 15 to 20 full scholarships for Belizean students to participate in its Tropical Forest ad Marine Ecology Course and, in 1989, initiated a year-long biology training program for Belizean students who have gone on to leadership positions in conservation and tourism.
View our map of ecotourism sites in Meso-America
