Thursday, October 15, 2009

Marine Reserves educate White Sands Dive Shop

Under the Department of Fisheries today, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Caye Caulker Marine Reserve and Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve and National Park gave their annual presentation to White Sands Dive Shop staff. The presenters where Mariela Archer of the Hol Chan office , Nidia Chacon for the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve and Roberto Carballo for the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. Topics of the presentations where general use of designated zones within the various reserves, new rules and regulations and new boundaries. The discussion topics included Coral reef monitoring results, Coral Bleaching, Coral Spawning at Caye Caulker, The new Kids Environmental Education project, Sea turtle monitoring and location of new residential developments proximity to the reserves.
More information about the Northern Marine Reserves management can be found in the Reef Currents newsletter from Hol Chan.

Project AWARE Beach Cleanup Oct. 2009

AWARE Kids Missions: Kids Clean Up!, Recycling Rocks!, Kids to the Rescue! (Threatened Underwater Animals), Way Cool Water Conservation! and Speak Out! each to be conducted on a Saturday.

Saturdays beach cleanup gives kids in the AWARE Kids Program credit for AWARE Mission 1: Kids Clean Up! and each will receive a certificate of appreciation from Jenny Miller Garmendia the director of Project AWARE Foundation. Immediately following the Beach Cleanup the Kids will be given a Reef Snorkel Experience by one of White Sands Dive Shops Tour Guides.

White Sands Dive Shops AWARE Kids program is conducted in conjunction with The Project AWARE Foundation’s Go ECO – Explore, Conserve, Observe. The campaign adopted a mile of Ambergris Cayes beach. The mile of beach begins at Las Terrazas/Journeys End Resort and extends Northward to Mata Grande.

White Sands Dive Shop Manager Emiliano Rivero commented, "The Beach will be patrolled and cleaned regularly of plastics and glass with an emphasis placed on not disturbing naturally occurring beach wash such as sea grasses and drift woods necessary for the prevention of erosion and support of biodiversity of the area. We are not just cleaning the beach we are protecting it. This barrier island beach is a part of the reef system and were going to treat it with the same respect we give the corals.”

AWARE ECO educates travelers about keeping natural areas pristine and encourages tour operators to implement environmentally responsible business practices.

AWARE Kids educates elementary school aged kids who want to discover, explore and investigate the fascinating aquatic world. Tourism is the world’s largest industry and travelers are increasingly concerned about their destination’s environmental condition. San Pedros divers and industry leaders have a responsibility to preserve local resources they depend on every day.

Project AWARE ECO Operators Such as Ambergris’s White Sands Dive Shop provides customers with experiences that enhance visitor awareness.